The Music that Follows the Storm
by JenosIdanianHorn
Summary: One year after Saffron... And that's it. No quirky crossover, no ridiculous dilema to face. Just your plain old 'What happened next' fic. Although, a small OC is being introduced...
1. First Things First

Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING! I already sold my soul for some cheescake, what more do you want?

Ok. Here goes. In this fanfic, I want to attempt to continue what Rumiko Takahashi attempted to create in the Ranma series: A cute little story about confused love and the sort. This fic takes place about a year after the Saffron incident. Nothing has changed yet. In fact, things probably would never change, but I've decided that a new face needs to emerge. Before anyone starts having their doubts (Mary Sue, or whatever her name is) the new character will be important, but he won't be the focus of the story, not by a long shot. Since I am an advocate of the Ranma & Akane pairing, I am going to show how I think that those two would end up together. No freaky cross - overs, or the like. Just a simple continuation of the Ranmaverse, in as much of Takahashi's cute portrayal as possible. The mood will stay light, but events won't be as ridiculous as possible. Well, here goes.

_**And things go on...**_

_Chapter One: First Things First_

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Ranma strolled down his favorite fence, hands behind his head, non-chalantly whistling to himself. It had been a good day. School had gone smoother than usual, with little of the bickering that he and Akane usually had. In fact, they had managed to have a pleasant little conversation during lunch, before Kuno popped up, looking to woo his favorite blue-haired angel. Ranma didn't even bother to fight him. The day was too nice. He tossed a little wave to Akane, and moved to talk to some of his other classmates. He felt a little bad about leaving Akane to deal with Kuno, but it was always worse when Ranma WAS around. He hoped Akane would understand. He really hated leaving her with that jerk.

The rest of the day went on without a hitch. Akane had invited him to a cafe, to which Ranma tried not to get excited about. _It's just a friendly invitation. It's not like it's a date or anything...._ The idea of a date with Akane embaressed him to no end. _Nah. Akane would NEVER ask me out on a date. She hates me. Well, I guess she dosen't really hate me, but still....._ Ranma agreed, as calmly as possible. Akane blushed slightly, and then took off with her friends, tossing a quick 'See ya!' over her shoulder. Ranma headed home to change into something comfortable. _Man, these school clothes really stink._ _How can the guys stand wearing this every single day? This is the first time I've worn it, and I already hate it!_

As he neared the home, his thoughts began to drift some more. _What should I wear to the cafe? I mean, it... it kinda IS a date, right? Should I wear something nice, or.... Nah! What am I thinking? Akane would NEVER ask me out. Would she.....? Man, I am so confused. Why'd she ask me to the cafe anyhow? She's not normally that nice.... Maybe she's up to something? Hmm. I'll keep my guard up, just in case. But what am I gonna wear? Oh, man....._

He hopped down from the fence, and strolled casually into the Tendo household. Kasumi was busy sweeping the porch, Soun and Genma were absorbed into a game of go, Happosai was smoking his moxa, and Nabiki was relaxing on the floor of the living room, reading a book. _It's so calm today,_ Ranma thought, _it's almost scary. I keep expecting something to happen. Oh well. It's not that I don't like the peace, it's just so strange._ Ranma greeted his father. "Hey, Pop."

Genma glanced up. "Oh, hello Ranma. Where's Akane?" Soun looked up at the mention of his youngest daughter's name.

"She went to the cafe with some of her friends. I was just gonna change and go meet them there."

Soun grinned widely. "Well, that's a sound idea! You go have fun, and make sure not to come home early!"

Ranma threw him a puzzled look, before heading up to his room to change. _I guess I'll just throw on the usual threads._ He tossed aside his bookbag and quickly changed into his usual red and black combo. _Ah, much better. Now I can actually breathe._ He fished around the cabinet for some money, counted out a good amount, and went back downstairs. Kasumi was there to see him off. "Now, make sure that Akane comes home alright, okay?"

"Sure Kasumi. Mr. Tendo, Pops, I'm off!" He waved as he left the dojo.

Soun waved back, content that Ranma and his daughter were finally getting along. He turned back to the go board, when he noticed that he was in a horrible strategic situation. He glanced up to Genma, who had a stone composure. _Darn. He won again. I thought I had the upper hand...._

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Ranma stared up at the cafe's sign. _Well, I'm here. I guess I'll go in. Man, what is up with this? Akane asked me out? Aww, stop it! It's just a friendly get-together._ He calmed his nerves, using a few quick breathing exercises, then pushed aside the double doors and walked inside. The cafe was pleasant enough. Decorated with some novelty posters and assorted junk, it held an relaxed aura. _Good. It ain't that fancy. Maybe it won't be as bad as I thought it would be. _ It was a fairly small place, so it was easy to spot Akane sitting with two of her school friends. He weaved around some of the tables and made his way over to the trio. Akane spotted him as he came near, and waved him over, a smile on her face. _Damn, she's so cute! _He hid his grin, and sat down next to Akane as calmly as possible. "So I decided to come. What did you have in mind?" Akane and the girls giggled. Ranma suddenly became uncomfortable. _I knew it! They're plotting something!_ "Hey, hey, what are you laughing at? I just got here. Jeez....."

Akane stopped laughing, but her smile stayed on. "Ranma, Ranma, you're so suspicious. I just thought you might want to hang out with us today, seeing as how nice you've been and all....." The girls resumed their giggling.

_Oh, great. Now I know something is up._ "If you don't mind me asking, why are you so happy-go-lucky? I hope you don't have anything up your sleeve."

Akane got a little miffed at this. "Why are you being so negative? I was hoping we could go see a movie, but if you're gonna be such a baby..."

"Now, wait a minute. You have never, EVER asked me to go somewhere with you before. And then today you get all cutsy-like and ask me on what could be considered a date?"

Akane was about to yell back at him, when she considered his words. _He's right. I'm never nice to him. But that's only because he acts like a jerk all the time. Why should I be nice? But then..... why was I nice today?_ She looked away from him, and suddenly became very interested in the tabletop. "I just thought...... that maybe...... we could be friends...... if just for one day......"

Ranma saw her change in mood. _ Oh, man. If she cries...... I'll never hear the end of it. I can't mess this up!_ "Aww, man. Listen Akane," he began to speak as he scratched the back of his head, "I didn't mean it that way. It just seemed so weird that you would, ya know...... think of me and all...... I didn't know what to say. I guess...... what I want to say...... is, uhh, thank you, I guess."

That sealed it. Akane looked up at Ranma, a deep joy in her eyes. "Really?"

Ranma looked back at her. _Aww, crap, she's got that googly-look in her eyes. And she's smiling. Aww, she's so cute! _"Well, yeah, I guess. I mean, you did invite me, so I guess I should thank you for it, so...... thanks."

Akane was at a loss for words. Ranma almost choked at the sight. She was trembling slightly. Her fists were clenched tightly in her lap. _Uh-Oh. What did I say this time? Is she crying?_ "Uh... Akane?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, and squeezed a bit, trying to get her to relax. "Hey, relax, will ya?"

She heard his request, and visibly relaxed. Then, as soon as he retracted his hand, Akane scooted over quickly, and grabbed him around the torso. "Oh, thank you, Ranma, thank you for coming! We're gonna have a great time, I promise!"

Ranma raised in arms up in surprise. _Wha...? Well, at least she's not crying. Phew, disaster avoided._ O-Okay, Akane, y-you're welcome, b-but could you not s-squeeze so h-hard?" He felt his face flush in embaressment. _Oh man. I hope she dosen't keep this up all day._

"Well, if you two lovebirds are finished, we'll just be going now." Ranma and Akane both looked to see that Akane's two school buddies had been watching the entire exchange. Akane then realized whom she was hugging, and quickly scooted over to the other side of the booth, her own face taking on a scarlet hue. Her two friends just smiled. "Now then, here's our part of the bill." One of them handed over a few bills. "Well, then, we'll be seein' ya." They got up to leave.

Akane spoke up quickly. "W-Wait! You're not just gonna leave me alone with him, are you!?"

Ranma turned to Akane. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean? Why do you have to give me the cold shoulder, you tomboy?"

Akane met his glare with her own. "Who are you calling a tomboy, you ungrateful little - "

"Have fun!" The squabblers looked up and saw that Akane's two friends were waving to them from the entrance of the cafe. Akane stood up and tried to call them back. "Hey, wait, you guys!" But they only turned away, and left, giggling about the 'lovebirds'

Akane sat back down, and sighed in defeat. Ranma was twiddling his thumbs absent-mindedly. _Now what, now what, now what? Do I leave? Nah, that would be a mistake. Akane would kill me. I guess we gotta continue this date. Oh man, there are gonna be so many rumors about us being a couple.... _ He glanced over at Akane. Her head hung down, and she didn't speak. _I guess I should say somethin' to her. _"Hey, Akane?" She titled her head slightly, to get a view of Ranma fidgeting around nevously. "Do you...... maybe want to, ya know...... walk around with me a bit?" She perked up a bit. "I mean, I'm sure we could find something to do here. There are plenty of new places open, and I haven't gotten a chance to eat. Maybe we could even go check out the movies." Akane fully sat up at the last statement.

"Really, Ranma?"

_Oh, man, do I do this? What if we have a bad time? She'll hate me! But I can't say no now. Aww, c'mon, it's just a simple little date, that's all. We're just friends. C'mon, Ranma, you can say it. C'mon......._

"Yeah, Akane. Let's have that date of yours"

_Date? Did I just say date? Oh, crap...... Oh, well...... How bad could it be?_

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As it turned out, it wasn't bad at all. After they left the cafe, Ranma and Akane went for a stroll down to the entertainment district. Akane had heard music in the distance, and wanted to see if any concerts were playing. They found out that a large music festival had arrived in town. Differents bands, playing different styles of music, had come from all over to share their skills. There was an assortment of local musicians, playing the latest pop tunes from some of the more popular bands. Some of the older folk had gathered, and were listening to the more traditional Japanese _Sokyoko_, which is played using the multi-string _koto_, and the _Shakuhachi _flute music. Although both Ranma and Akane appreciated their roots, they were more interested in the foreign music.

The first thing that caught their attention was a loud series of drumming, followed by whoops and cheers. They followed the sound over to it's source, and found a circle of Africans playing the drums. There were chanting as they played, and the beat was a quick, flowing tempo. Some of the spectators had actually begun to dance. There wasn't a set of movements that they followed. They just let their feet follow the beat. The tempo increased, and the dancers began spinning at a furious pace. Dust was starting to rise, as their feet flew across the ground. It was truly a sight to behold. After the song ended, Akane asked one of the musicians about the music. The group performing was a _jembe _ensemble, coupled with a few _congas_ and steel pans. They were a group that wanted to stick to their African roots. Akane thanked the performer, and turned back to Ranma, when she saw that he had disappeared. _Where did he go? I hope he's not stuffing his face..._ Her thoughts were interupted when more whooping came from the circle. Akane looked and saw, with great delight, that Ranma had joined the circle as the music began again. Clapping shortly followed, as the speed was turned up a notch. Ranma was engaged in small contest of dexterity, trying to see who could keep up with the accelerating beat. Many of the dancers fell behind, and left the circle breathless, until only Ranma and another man were left. The music changed to a three-count beat, and Ranma struggled to keep his feet in time. The other man, obviously a professional, flawlessly adjusted. His feet were a blur, shrouded in a small cloud of dust, as he appeared to float in mid-air. Ranma finally lost his footing, and stumbled away. He landed flat in front of Akane, as she doubled over in laughter. Ranma began to grumble, as the crowd cheered loudly. He almost burst out in anger, until Akane grabbed his arms and hoisted him up and dusted him off. His anger dissapated as he saw her smile. _Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous._

"You did a great job back there. You really got the crowd going."

"Huh?" He turned around, and saw that the crowd was begging him to dance again. He quickly grinned, but refused politely. He had worked up a sweat, and wanted to rest a bit. He said goodbye, and he made his way with Akane over to another area. He noticed that she was holding his hand, but said nothing. _I wonder if she realizes what she's doing. Oh well._

The next place they stopped at was a gigantic stage. Rows and rows of people, sitting on lawn chairs, were silently watching an orchestra as they played a series of classical pieces. The couple sat down on the lawn, and quickly became mesmerized by the music. Akane recognized the current piece as _Ode to Joy_. Even Ranma thought that the tune was familiar. His head began to nod to the flowing sounds, and his eyes closed as he fell into a state of relaxation. _Peaceful...... It's so peaceful...... I could stay here forever. I guess this date wasn't such a bad idea after all. I hope Akane is having a good time._ He opened one eye, to see that Akane was swinging her head side to side, swaying with the music. She wore a smile of genuine content. _One day, that smile is gonna kill me. Damn, she's so beautiful when she smiles like that._ He closed his eye again, and lazily followed the piece to it's conclusion. The crowd went wild, and even Ranma felt compelled to clap.

"Hey, Akane. Let's go explore some more. I'm sure there's something more lively than this." And without waiting for her answer, he got up, helped her up by the hand, and led the way. Akane blushed a bit at his antics, but she kept her pleasant smile on. _Oh, wow. This festival is doing wonders for his mood._

They wandered around for a bit, examining different booths that were set up. Each one had its own instrument on display, and had information about the instrument and its different uses. A few more bands were randomly scattered about, but nothing really caught their intrest, until they found a large tent on the far side of the festival. When they entered, they were breathless.

The sun had gone down the hours they were there, and that only helped to set the mood within the tent. To either side of them, food stands and more instrument booths curved around the tent. In the center, numerous tables had been set up. There were people eating, drinking, talking, yelling, dancing, and cheering. On the far side of the tent, a small stage was passively but warmly lit. A small ensemble was playing a very sad sounding tune. Ranma and Akane recognized a grand piano on the far right, along with a drum set in the middle, and a large bass on the left, all three of which were in the background. However, they did not know what the three men up front were playing. All three were metallic, and shone well in the light. Two of the men played identical ones, which were held straight forward from their mouthes. They flanked the final man, who played a strange-looking intstrument that was played from the mouth, but curved down to his hip. All three has bright golden colors, although the middle one held tints of silver.

Ranma didn't hide his ignorance, or his excitement. "Wow! What are those!? I've never seen those around here before! Here, let's go ask this guy, his booth has pictures." He dragged Akane over to the indicated booth. The man sitting inside was African-American, late in his years. He seemed to be under some sort of spell, the way his head was bobbing around. His eyes were soft, but focused. Something about the man made Ranma and Akane feel very relaxed.

"Hello, sir?" Akane was the first to speak up.

"Oh, yes, miss. How do you do?" He smiled warmly at the couple. "And what brings you here, to my humble little abode? I'm sure it isn't my good looks."

Akane giggled, while Ranma rolled his eyes, reciving an elbow to the ribs as payment for his manners. "Oh, my friend and I were just curious about the people playing up there."

"Ah, yes. Aren't they skilled? Especially the saxaphone. He's got talent I haven't heard in years."

"Uh.... Saxaphone?"

"Yes, the saxaphone player, he.... Oh, wait. Forgive me, but you're not familiar with these instruments, are you?" Two shakes of the head answered him. "Ah, well, that's quite alright. A lack of knowledge provides an opportunity to learn something new. Now then, what would you like to know?"

"Just what exactly are those? The three shiny ones, I mean."

"The ones on the left and right are called _trumpets_, which belong to the brass familiy, namely because they themselves are made of brass. The player puckers his lips, and blows into a mouthpiece. The vibrations of his lips travel through the trumpet, and are modified by the three valves in the middle. The brass is what gives a trumpet its metallic sound. If a player is skilled enough, he can change the pitch without using the valves, and instead using more air from his diaphram. Theoretically, if a person possesed enough power, there is no limit to the height his pitch can reach." And with that, one of the trumpets blasted a squeal that raised the hairs on Ranma's skin, and induced loud cheering from the audience.

"So, that middle one, the _saxomaphone_, is also brass?"

The man chuckled deeply. "No, no, its a _saxaphone_, and it isn't a brass instrument, although it is made of brass."

"Huh?" The two kids echoed in unison.

"The sax is unique. Although it is made of brass, the sound comes from the vibration of the wooden piece that is close to the mouth." He pointed to a hanging picture, which was a close-up of a tenor saxaphone. "That's why the saxaphone was place into the category of 'woodwind'. All instruments that use a reed, which is that wood piece, are called woodwinds."

"Oh, I see. So those," Ranma pointed to two of the men, "are trumpets, while that," he shifted his finger to the middle man, "is a sax."

"Yes, that is correct. The sax is a more recent invention, and is not considered a traditional jazz instrument, like the trumpet is."

Akane placed a finger on her lips thoughtfully. "Oh, so that's the style of music they're playing. Jazz."

Ranma snorted. "It don't sound like anything I've ever heard. I mean, they're not even all playing at the same time."

The man only chuckled louder. "Ha ha, you're absolutely right. The thing about jazz is that it's not supposed to be together. It's very improvisational. A true jazz artist does not let the notes on the page become his boundary. He can play anything and everything that fancies him. The key is to play something that makes your ear perk up, something different, but still right. That's the beauty of jazz. And the epitome of jazz is the solo. With the background still playing, a person steps up to the center, and makes up something, right there, right on the spot. It's truly amazing what comes out of an instrument when it is played by a skilled soloist."

Ranma and Akane turned to look at the band. They had just finished playing the last piece, and the crowd was going wild, when two men from the band took center stage. One was a new face, and he took his place on a stool, an acoustic guitar in hand. The other man was the sax man, who seemed to be the favorite of the crowd. His long, curly hair was damp and shiny from the sweat. His tan face betrayed signs of fatigue. But he stood up to the microphone with a brisk confidence. "Thank you, everyone, for being so cooperative this evening. I hoped we could put on a good show for you guys, and I think we've succeded. My name is Jason Vargas, and I am a guest of the band 'Blue Turmoil'". The crowd cheered as the band stood up and waved. "And now, before we depart, I'd like to play one last piece. It's called 'Permanent Vacation'. And with that, he placed the sax to his lips, and began to play.

It was one of the greatest sounds that either Ranma or Akane had ever heard. The confidence radiated from him as swayed from side to side, sending note after note echoing around the tent. His eyes were closed, but his body betrayed a passion so fiery, the crowd couldn't help but cheer. The guitarist was quickly pushed back to the background, as the vibrant man sent wave after wave of the pleasant music rolling around. He got louder, and louder, and swaying became erratic. Many of the patrons began jump, whoop and hollar. It was a display not seen very often. The strumming became even more vigorous, as the wild saxaphone shone brighly in the dim area. The booth man's eyes had glazed over at the display. Ranma and Akane were completely drawn to the center figure. Clapping quickly arose, as the pitch climbed with the fervor. The man's feet would not even stay in one spot, as he continued belting out his beautiful sound. It was as if the brass contraption had become a part of him. The crowd, sensing the end of the performance, cried for more, cried for an encore. Even the food vendors had been sucked into the heat of the moment. It was absolutely beautiful.

As the song came to a reluctant close, the avid listeners yelled the loudest they had all evening. Their voices were raspy, as they gave their affection to the musician. As the piece finally ended, the man took a deep breath, picked up the microphone, and said, "I thank you all this evening, this was a great time for me, I hope to be back here again soon." And with that, the tent exploded into cheers. Even Ranma and Akane added to the noise, yelling their approval. When Ranma tried to raise his hand in a sign of victory, he noticed that it was clamped tightly by Akane's hand. She saw the same thing at about the same moment, and then she shyly squeezed his hand, and shifted closer to him, resting her head on his arm. Ranma was a bit startled, but he relaxed, and placed his head on hers. _Well, this turned out alright, I guess. Maybe... this whole engagement thing won't be so bad after all._

"C'mon, Akane, let's go home." She only nodded, as they turned around, and headed for home.

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A few hours later, after the conclusion of the festival, a lone man quietly walked the streets of Nerima. A large case dangled from his back. He was weary, and hungry. Hoping to find a hotel, or something, he kept walking, but his exhaustion took over, and he collapsed in front of a large pair of wooden doors. He spied a sign, moments before he fell into unconsiousness, that said 'Tendo Dojo'.

Notes: Well, what do you think? I am a huge advocate of jazz, and music in general, so I decided that music, in the form of the upcoming OC, will remain a large theme. And in case you haven't guessed, Jason Vargas is the OC, and the man who fainted in front of the dojo. If I spoiled it, well boo hoo, I was gonna reveal it first thing next chapter.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Trigun, Permanent Vacation is a song from the Trigun Original Soundtrack #1, titled 'The First Donuts'. It's a great song. If anybody is interested, look out for it. It should be number 5 on the CD. Look in up on Kazaa (Ooops, I hope I don't get in trouble for the K word.)


	2. The Newcomer

Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING! Ranma belongs to Takahasi (man, that sounds demented, huh?)

_Chapter Two: The Newcomer_

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Kasumi Tendo always awoke with the rising sun. It was a habit she had picked up long ago, and she never rid herself of it, so she was always the first to rise from bed. Kasumi liked to keep the house clean, so before she fired up breakfast, she would make sure the dining room was clear of any leftovers from the night before. After she gathered all the trash into a bag, she carried it out to the front of the dojo.

Today began the same way, until Kasumi opened one of the doors leading out to the street. She dropped the bag in surprise, and her hands flew up to her mouth. "Oh my", she gasped. There, lying face-down and prone on the dirt in front of her, was a body of a man. He was clad in a white T-shirt, brown leather jacket, and blue jeans. A strap, wrapped tightly around his shoulder, was connected to a large black case. "I should call Father and Mr. Saotome." With that, she ran back into the house.

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"Well, he's not dead, just unconsious. With some rest and some food, he'll be just fine." Soun finished his assessment of the young man's condition. Kasumi had come running in flustered, just when he and Genma had began their usual board game. Soun was worried that something may have happened to Kasumi, since she usually kept a very calm composure. He was relieved when it was the stranger and not her that was in trouble. The two fathers had hoisted him up, along with the case, and carried him to the guest room. He was now tucked in snuggly on a spare futon, breathing smoothly. When Nabiki informed Ranma and Akane of the newcomer, they hurried up to see who it was.

"Hey, Akane, that's the guy from yesterday, the sax man!" Ranma was startled when he laid eyes upon the familiar mop of hair, and the rigid face.

"Man from yesterday? Why, whatever do you mean Akane?" Soun had a peculiar look on his face. _Is there another man in Akane's life?!_

"We went to the music festival yesterday, and we saw this man performing. He was really a great musician. But I wonder what he was doing outside?"

Genma spoke up. "Well, he's asleep now, so we'll start up breakfast, and ask him when he wakes up." Everyone nodded in agreement, and they filed out of the room quietly, letting the man rest in peace.

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The family began their meal as usual. Ranma and Genma were inhaling their meals, wanting to start some training for the weekend. Soun was the first to speak. "Ahem. So, uh, Akane, how was you're little date with Ranma? I'm sure you two shared some intimate moments."

Akane lowered her head, hiding her embarassment, while Ranma choked on a large ball of rice. He whacked his chest a few times, before protesting. "Whoa, whoa! First of all, it was NOT a date! We just went to listen to some music, that's all! Secondly, and more importantly, I would never get intimate with THAT tomboy. She'd probably bite my head off just for considering...."

Whack! A mallet cutoff Ranma's rant. "Well, excuse ME! I guess a pervert like you would only get intimate with a lunatic like Shampoo, am I right?"

"Ooohh, you're pushin' it, peabrain!"

"Peabrain!? Why you inconsiderate...."

"Ahhhh, excuse me?"

A new voice from the top of the stairs halted the vicious exchange. Everyone looked up to see the rescuee making his way down.

"Ahh, and he's up. Wonderful! How do you feel, boy?" Genma beckoned him over to the table. "Come, come, don't be shy. Kasumi here will get you something to eat. I'm sure you're hungry."

Kasumi gave him a sweet smile. "Sure. Just wait a moment." She got up to fetch a meal for their guest.

"Thank you." He shuffled over next to Ranma, and sat down. He hung his head a little, trying not to look at anyone in particular.

"So. What brings you to the dirt in front of our house?" Nabiki gave him an interrogative lokk. "Lemme guess. Money trouble?"

The stranger shook his head. "No."

"Runnin' from the Mafia?"

"No."

"Police?"

"No."

Nabiki became a little miffed. "Well then, at least tell us your name. I'm getting a little tired of the one-word answer."

"Jason Vargas."

Ranma clapped him on the shoulder. "That's right. You're that super performer we saw at the festival yesterday."

The corner of Jason's mouth twitched a bit. "I wouldn't say super."

Akane smiled. "Oh, don't be so modest. You were awesome."

A lopsided grin formed and then quickly disappeared. "No, not awesome. Just experienced."

"Well, whatever you wanna call it, you were it, man. You had every girl there wrapped around your finger. Why, even Akane here was fallin' for ya. I can remember it well. 'Oh, Ranma, he's so handsome he's so wonderful, he's so....'"

Another smack on the head silenced that tirade. "Yeah? Well, you're so stupid, I'm amazed I can even stand it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a workout to do." And with that, Akane got up, and left to don her gi.

Ranma rubbed his head. "Ahh, she's so stubborn." He looked over to Jason. "Hey, do you do martial arts?"

"No, but I do gymnastics."

"That's great! Let's go to the hall, and maybe I'll show ya some moves."

Jason looked up. "Sure." He and Ranma stood up, and left for the dojo, right after Jason gave a small 'Thank You' for the breakfast.

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_Stupid Ranma. _Punch. _Showing me up like that. _Roundhouse. _In front of the musician, no less. What nerve! _She ended her form with a flying kick. She looked to the entrance, to see Ranma and Jason enter the dojo, and begin stretching. _Argh. He had to follow me. Well, at least he won't bother me, not with Jason there._ She took a breath, and began another form.

Ranma watched Akane carefully. _Hmph. Why does she act that way? I kid with her a bit, and she overreacts! I mean, jeez, I'm tryin' to be nice, and she has to throw it in my face! Well, I'll give it another shot, see if she's calmed down._ "Hey, Jason, finish warmin' up while I go talk with Akane. I wanna test your reflexes." Jason nodded, and continued, while Ranma made his way over to his fiancee.

"You still mad?" Ranma stood with his arms crossed, watching Akane run through her movements.

She finished her last move, then turned to face Ranma, panting slightly. "Mad? I wasn't mad. I was ANNOYED. Why do you have to embarrass me like that?"

"Why were you embarrassed? It's not like you REALLY said those things."

"I know, but still....."

"Yeah, yeah, you don't wanna look dumb in front of the cute guy."

Akane looked down at her feet, shuffling them a bit. "Shut up. So what if I think he's cute?" She looked up, smiling, hoping to catch Ranma off-guard. "Sides, you're not so bad-looking yourself."

Ranma's face quickly ran through the rainbow, stopping at a nice tomato color. "Wh-Wha??? N-Now, wait up, th-this is about him, not me." Secretly, he was thinking more along the lines of, _She thinks I'm cute, she thinks I'm cute, she thinks I'm cute!!!_

Akane laughed, then poked him solidly in the abdomen. Being off-balance as he was, he fell over, and glared up at her. "Oooh, that was low blow." She only laughed harder, dissapating what little frustration he had. He picked himself up, and turned away. "Well, I'm gonna work with Jason for a bit, then maybe I'll grace you with my superiority." Akane rolled her eyes, but went back to her practice, no longer annoyed with him.

All the while, Jason had watched, with a knowing eye. The lopsided smile formed again, as he assessed the arguing teens. _Hmm. An interesting relationship._

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"All right, here I come!" Ranma launched another flying side kick, and Jason responded by cartwheeling to the side. Ranma landed, and quickly changed direction, lauching into a flip that would bring the heel of his foot on top of Jason's head. Jason rolled underneath the martial artist, then pinwheeled away, putting distance between him and Ranma. But Ranma had already began charging, and threw a vicious right hook at him. Jason hopped up nimbly, and placed did a handstand on Ranma's head. Ranma crossed his arms and swept them over his head. Jason pushed off, rotating slowly, landing his feet back on top of Ranma, then backflipped away, landing on his hands again, before somersaulting away.

"Man, you're quick, Jason. It's pretty hard to hit you. But you haven't studied any sort of actual style, have you?"

He shook his head. "My father was a gymnast as well, and he taught me enough to keep me in shape, and enough to allow me to defend myself in an emergency."

"Well, you handle yourself pretty well. I'm impressed. Now, why don't you take a break, while I go give the tomboy a run for her money?" Jason nodded, and sat down to watch the teens spar.

"I'm gonna get you for that one, Ranma."

"Anytime, Akane."

Akane advanced at a run, throwing various attacks at Ranma, but he only avoided them, occasionally blocking the well-placed ones. Jason watched the exchange with little intrest in the actual fighting. _Well, they are definitly falling for each other. It's written all over their faces. But.... they seem to want to hide the fact that they like each other. I wonder why. Maybe they're just embarrassed about it, but if they're living in the same house, then what difference could admitting it make? Something's up here, and I am curious as to what it may be._

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Lunch brought the family, plus one, together at the table. Kasumi brough out a steaming tray of assorted foods, and they glady dug in. There was little talking, save for some bickering from Ranma and Akane, until the meal finished. Then, the questions started.

"So, Jason, what brings you to Japan? If you don't mind my rudeness, you look like a foreigner." Soun was the first to speak.

"Yes, I'm Costa Rican. It's a small country in Central America."

"Ah, so you're Spanish."

"Well, I speak Spanish. Like I said, I'm Costa Rican, which is techincally Latin."

"Oh, I see. So you're a transfer student."

"No. Actually, I'm one year fresh out of high school. I wanted to go to college, but getting the money together was gonna be tough, until I got the chance to join the International Jazz Assosiation."

Nabiki became interested at the word money. "International Jazz Assosiation?"

"Yes. We're a collection of some of the greatest and most famous players of them all. Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderly, Louie Armstrong, and Charles Mingus were members, but they weren't around when we started to send groups overseas. We go around and get gigs at concerts and festivals such as the one you two were at."

"So, you're making money playing around the world, and then you're gonna go to college?"

"No and no. This was my last gig with the IJA. I sent a letter of resignation yesterday. Instead, I've decided to stay here, in Nerima. The local nightclub ring gave me a deal, saying that I could be a permanent employee with them, circulating around the various clubs every weekend. I've got my eye on a few apartments in this area, and I'm just waiting until the whole IJA thing blows over. And I'm not planning on college. It's just too expensive. And besides, my life is music. There's no school that can teach me anything better than experience can."

Genma spoke up. "Well, you're a strong individual, Jason. Living out on your own is a tough job, but it looks like you're going to manage."

Jason looked down. "I sure hope so."

Ranma clapped him on the back. "Aww, you're gonna do fine. In the meantime, you can stay with us. I'm sure we could make room for you. Heck, Pop could bunk with Mr. Tendo, and you could room with me. It would be great to get some snore-free sleep." Ranma dropped his voice a little. "You don't snore, do you?"

"I don't belive so."

Soun stood up happily. "Well, then, that settles it! Jason, consider yourself a temporary member of this family. We'd be happy to keep you here for as long as you need to."

Jason held up his hand in a halting gesture. "Oh, no, there is no way I could impose..."

Akane looked at him. "Oh, come on, it wouldn't be any imposition at all. You'd be the only male bringing in any income, anyways."

The three martial artists retorted, "Hey, we do our part!"

"Yeah, well, running a dojo with no students can't be all that hard..."

"Just you wait, my daughter, we'll get students soon, you just watch..."

"All right, Dad, you're on!"

And as the family continued to argue, Jason only sat back and watched. _Family. Such a strange group people. Makes me miss my family. But that's the past. I want to make my future here, where no one knows me. I'm my own person._

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Later that evening, Ranma and Jason were finishing rearranging the room. Not that much work needed to be done. An extra futon with blankets and a pillow were brought out, Genma's small collection of personal items were moved to Soun's room, and Jason's case was brought up to the boys' room. When it arrived, Jason hurredily opened it. The gold and silver alto saxaphone caught the light and sent spots of light around the room. Ranma scooted up to the case, and marveled at the shiny instrument.

"Oooh, it looks even cooler up close. So this is your sax, huh?"

"Yeah, this is her. My life, my passion, my soul. She's beautiful. A vintage Selmer I got from a pawnshop. Man, it was so cheap! Guy didn't even know what it was till I explained it. I replaced the pads, and the cork, greased the springs and the screws, filed out some reeds, about 2 and 1/2 strength, went and found a nice Dukoff mouthpiece..."

Ranma held his hands up. "Whoa, whoa, slow down. I have no idea what you just said."

Jason grinned his lopsided grin. "Ha ha. I just said 'This thing is a godly work of art'."

"Oh."

Jason inspected his piece, while Ranma got ready for a bath. It was then that he realized that he hadn't mentioned his little Jusenkyo curse to Jason. _Oh, man. If I do, it'll freak him out. But if I suddenly change one day, then that'll be even worse! Might as well tell him..._

"Yo, uh, Jason." Jason turned to look at him. "Uh, I got something important to tell ya. It's, well, I guess you could call it a medical condition. I have this weird reaction to cold water. When it hits me, I kinda, well, umm..."

Before he could finish stammering out his problem, Akane threw open the door to the guys' room, weilding a bucket of cold water. She threw it, and Ranma was too surprised to dodge it. And before Jason's eyes, a pair of large breasts grew onto Ranma's form. Akane growled at him. "And that's what you get for stealing my bathing suit!" It was then that she realized Jason hadn't known about Ranma's curse. "Oh, no! Jason, I, uh....."

"Well, that's not something you see everyday. Man, I'm gonna have to watch out for you, Ranma, my girl."

Both Ranma and Akane's jaws dropped. "W-Wait. You're not..... surprised!? Ranma just changed into a girl! I mean, look at these!" Akane grabbed Ranma's chest, as if to make her point.

"Ya, thanks Akane, you don't have ta rub it in."

Jason only laughed. "Oh, I've heard of it. Jusenkyo, right? I've been to China before, and I've actually witnessed it. Man, that is some weird voodoo stuff, if you ask me."

"You mean.... you don't mind?"

"I don't mind waking up to THOSE every morning, if that's what you mean."

Ranma scrunched her face up. "I hope you don't try anything, buddy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a hot bath waiting for me." She pushed Akane aside, and strolled down to the bathroom. Akane sat down in the room, still wanting to talk to Jason.

"You really don't find that strange?"

"Of course I do. But it's not like it's unbearable. I mean, no offense, but this whole house is strange."

Akane laughed. "Tell me about it."

Jason smiled, but then turned serious again. "What about you?"

"Huh?"

"Do find it uncomfortable?"

"Well, yeah, a little. I've gotten used to it, but still, its unnerving sometimes. Him and his father..."

"His father too?"

"Well, Mr. Saotome turns into a panda, not a girl, but yeah, him too."

"Interesting."

Akane looked at the young man in front of her in wonder. "Interesting? That's it? Wow. You are one of the most composed people I know."

Jason continued to fiddle with his sax, but his mind wandered elsewhere. "Well..... I've learned that emotions and feelings are too complicated to just express freely. You have to have control. That's why I like to stay quiet. You can't say something stupid if you don't say anything at all."

Akane crossed her arms and nodded. "I agree. That is a lesson you need to teach Ranma."

"Ranma?"

"Yes, please! Oh, he make me so mad sometimes, always blurting out what comes to his mind, not caring about other peoples feelings. He needs to control what he says. Being honest is a virtue, but to be brutally blunt?"

Jason looked up thoughtfully. "You think he is blunt?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Hm. I don't think so. He may talk alot, and he may say many stupid things, but that doesn't make him blunt. In fact, it makes him quite the opposite."

"Huh?"

"He doesn't speak his mind. I've only watched him for a few minutes, and I can see that he doesn't. Instead, he covers up what he is feeling with his talking. He doesn't want his feeling to be out in the open, vulnerable."

"How can you tell?"

Jason grinned again. "How can you not? I mean, look at how he acts around you."

"Yeah, a total jerk."

"And do you know why he acts that way? Because he's very shy about revealing what he really thinks about you, so he covers it up with the opposite of what he is thinking."

"You can't be serious."

"I am. I've seen him look at you, ever so intently. You smile at him, and he breaks down inside. And then what does he say? 'Uncute'"

Akane's cheeks faded to a light pink. "You really think so? I mean, I'm not that cute...." _Although, there was that one time, when he said that I'm cute when I smile..._ This made Akane blush even more.

Jason himself had to look away to hide some redness, but it quickly faded away. "I don't think I have to answer that question. Just go look in the mirror. That smile of yours kills Ranma."

Akane got up slowly, reveling in her new knowledge. _Huh. Really?_ "Thank you very much, Jason. I had no idea..." And with that, Akane went off to her room, to inspect herself in the mirror.

Jason sighed, and closed his case. "Oh, Akane. You're no different then Ranma." He grinned, and spoke softly to himself. "You've got it worse than he does."

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It was getting late, but the night sky was clear and the stars were bright against the moonless expanse of space. The family had gathered on the porch to marvel at the spectacle. Soun and Genma tried to act nonchalant, but they couldn't resist glancing up at the sky. Kasumi was absent-mindedly sweeping the porch, all the while focusing on the sparkle of a select few stars. Ranma, fresh from his bath, was seated on the steps next to Akane. Even Nabiki had desended from her room to see the lovely night sky.

Akane sighed. _Wow. It's so pretty. I wish I could just watch this forever._ She looked over to Ranma. _Did Jason mean what he said? About Ranma and me? I wonder..._

Akane scooted closer to Ranma, wrapped her arm around his, and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt him shiver a bit at the sudden contact. "Uhh, Akane? Wh-What are you doing?"

Akane looked up at him, and gave him her sweetest smile. "You don't like it?"

Ranma visibly cracked upon seeing her. _Wow._ "Well, I, uh..... It just seemed, ya know, a little awkward, but, I guess, you could, ya know, if you really wanted to....." He gave up, and relaxed his nerves. _Aww, what'll it hurt? It's not like she hasn't pulled this before. And..... It's not like I don't like it..... In fact..... _He leaned his head on hers. _I could get used to this, I guess._

As they watched the night sky, a sweet sound began to echo through the town. The rest of the family looked up in confusion, but Ranma and Akane didn't. They knew what that sound was. Jason was perched on the rooftop, paying his tribute to the beauty. A rolling, perfect little melody could be heard for miles. It was soft, smooth, romantic even, but it was so compelling that even the grumpiest of people were calmed by the song.

In a little restaurant, not far from the Tendo residence, a certain, purple-haired Amazon heard the brass cry. _How lovely. I wonder who play that._ A young man, in the same building, adjusted his glasses._ I have not heard such an amazing tune since leaving the village._

In another restaurant, a young chef, armed with a giant spatula, also noticed the music. _What is that? Well, whatever it is, I could get used to it. What a lullaby..._

In a large, expensive-looking estate, two siblings, usually fighting with each other, stopped their argument when the soothing sounds descended upon them. _Like a dove with an olive branch, a beauty like none other arrives from the heavens,_ thought the boy. _Oh, my how wonderful. I wish I could share this with my darling,_ thought the girl.

On the outskirts of the city, a man clad in yellow and black perked up. _What? Such a melody.... I cannot believe my luck. Surly it is a blessing upon me._

Back in the Tendo house, a motherly figure stopped waving her broom. _Oh my. He really can play, can't he?_

A younger, short-haired girl near her echoed her thoughts. _Hmm. That is certainly a talent. A girl could get hooked on him._

Two fathers smiled at each other, as they watched their son and daughter together. _Ah, that boy has certainly set the mood, hasn't he?_

And on a nameless rooftop, a lonely figure shared his gift with the little town of Nerima. _It's all I can do. I play my songs, and people listen. It's all I can do. The music is healthy, calming, soothing. This, I give to people. I can share with them this peace. It's all I can do. But, maybe, one day....... I will have more in my life. _He remenisced down to his newfound couple. _Ranma and Akane. They have each other. That's good. I..... I have no one. I am alone. But that's all right. One day, maybe, I'll meet someone. After all, it is said that there is a someone for everyone. I just hope that wisdom rings true. In the meantime..... I will play. It's all I can do. But that's all right._

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AN: Ahh, I'm a sucker for romantics. But hey, this has just begun. I'm writing this by ear, and I'm not planning too far ahead, but I think it's really gonna turn out well, the way it's been going. I've had so many ideas, I can't sort them all out. So, I'm writing as fast as I can, before school starts again (Boo Hoo)

Now, let me clarify a few things. First off, why did I pick Costa Rica? Beacaues I'm Costa Rican. _PURA VIDA!_ Secondly, how does Jason know Japanese? Aww, c'mon, it ain't that hard to find a class to teach that stuff. Third, and this is a bit more serious. There is no IJA. It's something I made up, but if there really IS an IJA, I apologize for using the name. And for using all the names of the jazz musicians. Those men, great as they are, were not part of any International group as far as I know. And another thing. I know that it seems a little absurd that a musician expects to live off weekend gigs, but hey, its a Ranma and Akane story. Don't bug me with specifics. Lastly, about Jason. He is an anylytical person, kinda like Nabiki, but not so money-grubbing. Instead, he sees the relationship between R&A, and wants to bring it out. Why? Cause he's a nice guy, and they were nice to him. Golden Rule, remember? Anyways, Jason is gonna be the last piece of the puzzle. He's gonna be the one to really bring Ranma and Akane to light, cause the way things were going, it was never gonna happen.

Oh, one last thing (I promise it's the last thing). I'm trying to make the story go by in a day-by-day progression, but it won't be perfect, so just hang tight.

Ok, Ok, one MORE last thing (So I lied.... Sue me... No, don't really sue me) The song that Jason is playing is called 'Harlem Nocturne'. Give the Kazaa engine a spin, see what you can find. I'm gonna try to give you one song a chapter. (Oh, look at me, I'm such a nice guy)


	3. A Bright Sun for a Not So Bright Day

Disclaimer: If Ranma belonged to me, I wouldn't be writing a fanfic, now would I?

_Chapter Three: A Bright Sun for a Not-So-Bright Day_

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Another sunrise brought the Tendo family to the breakfast table. Kasumi served the meal, and chopsticks began to fly as favorites were being picked. Jason, however, waited until after the initial barrage to pick out a serving of rice and some toast for himself. He ate slowly, in silence, like he always did. It was strange for him to see such liveliness so early in the morning. Ranma and Akane had their usual round of bickering when the last fish cake went up for grabs. Jason smiled at their antics. _They claim not to like each other, but....._

When the food was done, Jason was the first to stand up and speak. "I'm sorry. I have some errands to run, so I'll be gone most of the day."

Soun looked at him. "What is it you have to do, my boy?"

"Today, a landlord was supposed to show up at one of my apartment hopefuls, so that's my first order of business. I also have a gig today, so I need to get prepared for that as well. So, if you'll excuse me, I'll be off." He turned and wandered away, throwing a wave over his shoulder. The family waved back at him, then began to leave the table themselves.

Ranma looked over at Akane. "Well, then. What are we gonna do today?"

"Why? Did you have something in mind?" A mischevious look appeared on her face.

"Pfft. Yeah, you wish."

"Hmph. You're mean. Well, I'm off. I'm gonna meet up with my friends today, maybe do a little shopping."

Ranma fluttered his hand. "Go away, then. I am not going with you."

Akane glared at him. "I never asked you, and I never wanted you to come, so don't even try." She stomped off to her room to change out of her morning robes.

"Well, fine! Wouldn't of gone if you made me." Ranma didn't even bother getting up from the table. He just lay down under it. _Boy, today's gonna be a lazy day. Maybe later I'll do some work in the dojo._ Genma and Soun had already pulled out a shogi board. _Yeah, of course they're not gonna do anything. Kasumi's just gonna clean. I'm not gonna even try to guess what Nabiki's does on these days. Jason's already gone.... Man, this sucks!_ Akane came down the stairs, and slipped on her shoes. _And I do not want to hang out with the tomboy today. She's already pissed at me._

"Father, I'm off!"

"Have fun, Akane."

Only minutes after Akane left, Kasumi peeked around a corner. "Oh dear. Has Akane already left?"

"Yeah Kasumi, she already left."

"Oh good, Ranma, you're here. I need you to fetch some things from the market. I would have asked Akane, but..."

"Sure, Kasumi, I'll go." _Anything to get me movin._

"Why, thank you, Ranma. Here's a list of things I need." She handed him a small slip of paper.

"All right. No problem." And with that, he put on his own shoes, and left for the market.

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_Hmm. Rice, check. Soy sauce, check. Fish cakes, check. What else? _Ranma glanced at his list. _Nope. Looks like thats everything. Good. Now I can head home...._

"Yo, Ranma!" Ranma looked up and spyed his buddies from school, waving frantically to him.

He waved back. "Hey, guys, what's up?"

They hurried over to him. "Oh, nothing. We were just wandering around, looking for a place to grab some lunch. Say, you wanna hang out?"

"Naw, I can't. Gotta take these," he jiggled the groceries, "to Kasumi. She's makin lunch for the new guy, so..."

"New guy?"

"Oh, yeah, there's this musician that we found knocked out in front of the dojo. We're takin' him in for a while, until he gets settled in an apartment."

"A musician, huh? You wouldn't mean that guy that was playin' at the festival, would you?"

"Yeah, the same." Ranma cocked his eyebrow. "Hey, how do you know 'bout me at the festival?"

The two friends snickered. "Aww, c'mon. You think you and Akane were the only ones there? Practically half the school saw you two, runnin' around holding hands."

Ranma's eyes bulged. "Y-You mean, people saw us..... together?"

"Yeah, you guys are the item, now, man. Everybody's talking about you two. Man, finally, you grow some backbone and ask her out...."

"N-No, you've got it wrong. She asked ME out, and it wasn't a date, OK?"

"Yeah, right. Listen, you fox, you're real slick, goin' steady with Akane and all. You don't gotta be so modest."

"Modest!? You've got to be kiddin' me! I would never go steady with her!"

"Oh? And just why not? Man, you don't know what you've got with her..."

Ranma clasped both their heads in his hands, and bared his teeth. "No, I don't think you understand what kind of girl she really is. Underneath all the smiles, is a big-mouthed, insulting, violent, obnoxious, and overly vicious Venus Fly Trap! She'll bite you're head off first chance she gets, and wouldn't think twice about attacking you with a mallet. Her cooking would take out all of Europe, if it ever hit the streets. I mean, what do you two knuckle-heads see in her!?"

"Well, she's probably the cutest girl in all of Furinkan..."

"Ohh, no, you got it all wrong, buddy. That bug-eyed, big-hipped, flat-chested, hawk-nosed lunatic is probably the most un-cute person in all of Nerima! Don't you try and tell me otherwise." Ranma looked them each in the eye, letting his words settle in. He noticed that they weren't paying much attention. In fact, something behind him was scaring the wits out of them. Ranma turned around, to find with horror, Akane Tendo, standing there, flanked by her frowning friends. She was holding a large shopping bag with her hands. Her head was hung low enough to cover her eyes, but she was visibly trembling. Ranma backed away slowly. "Uhhh, Akane.... Hi."

With a voice that contrasted with her shaking body, Akane spoke in consice tones. "If that's how you feel, Ranma.................... then so be it. I don't care." And with that, she turned tail, and bolted home. Her two friends called after her, but to no avail. They angrily approached Ranma, who was trying to ease away silently.

"You insensitive jerk! I hope you're happy, making her cry like that! You go and apologize, right away!"

Ranma tried to wave them off, but they kept pressing him, and pestering him. Finally, he threw up his hands, and yelled. "For God's sake, just leave me alone!" And he took a huge leap up to the top of a store, and ran off.

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Jason was walking home after a long day's work. The landowner turned out to be a local rich man, who owned almost all of the complexes in the area. He wanted to charge Jason an outrageous price for the shabbiest little room. Jason tried to bargain, but the owner wouldn't budge on price. Jason had given up, and left to visit the club where he was going to perform. The owner had come out to greet him, and told him that the gig was cancelled. Another band had taken Jason's spot for the night, much to his dismay. However, after some initial frustration, the owner paid him in full, for failing to inform him of the little mishap. Jason was pleased, although he had wanted a chance to play. _Oh well. Beggars and choosers, after all._ He was able to set another date with the owner, and left in a pretty good mood.

When he arrived at the house, he found the family lounging around as usual. However, he failed to spot Ranma or Akane. After checking the dojo, he went up to the fathers, and inquired about their absence.

Soun looked a bit downtrodden. "Oh, Akane came in here not too long ago, bawling her eyes out. She wouldn't even mention anything when Nabiki and Kasumi went up to comfort her. I hope nothing serious has happened."

Genma nodded his head. "Yes, let's hope not. As for Ranma, well, he hasn't shown up since he left this morning. Its incredible, the nerve of that boy. His own fianceé, crying her heart out, and he's off playing with his friends somewhere, probably. Why, I outta..."

Jason frowned. _I wonder..... Maybe it has something to do with Ranma. I'll talk to him when he gets back._ He thanked the fathers, who grunted in acknowledgement, and then made his way up the stairs. Before entering his and Ranma's room, he concentrated on Akane's room. He could hear the loud sobbing clearly. _Something must have really happened. I wonder....._ Before his thoughts could concieve any possible reasons for Akane's sadness, he heard her say something. A name.

"Ranma..... Ranma, you jerk...... Why?"

If Jason could have frowned more, he would have. As it was, his face remained the same, but his attitude darkened. He didn't get angry, but he definitly got sour. _So, it WAS Ranma's fault. I'll have to talk to him. This foolishness between him and Akane has to stop. It's tearing them apart._ He slid into his room, and waited for his roommate to return.

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The sun had gone down, and a slight chill had arisen. Still, Ranma didn't move. He sat on the jungle gym, knees up to his chest, hands wrapped around them. He buried his head into his knees._ Akane..... I'm sorry...... I didn't mean any of it....... It's just....... I can't stand it when people spread rumors like that. That's what happens when we go out together like that. Jeez, we're not really an item...... are we? Does one little date do that? No, no way we're a couple. We're just friends...._

A little voice peeped into his thoughts. **_I'm just denying the truth. God, she's so incredible. Why did I say those things? I really do like her...._**

_No. That's foolish. We are not a couple, and she does not like me. And I don't like her!_

_**What am I thinking? I'm crazy for her. But does she feel the same way? She acts like it, sometimes, but...**_

_No, she doesn't! She hits me all the time, and calls me stupid, calls me a jerk!_

_**But that's only when I act like a jerk. I guess I should go and apologize.... I mean, what I said, back there..... it was pretty harsh....**_

His heart won out over his mind, and Ranma leapt down from his perch, and made his way home.

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When he arrived at the house, he saw everyone waiting for him. When they saw him, the comotion started. Soun and Genma were the first to speak.

"Oh, Ranma, thank goodness you're here! Please, do something! I fear Akane will only listen to you, now!"

"Son, where have you been!? You're fianceé is up there crying a river, and you have the nerve to let her alone, in this time of need...."

Even Kasumi and Nabiki got into it.

"Please, Ranma. Akane is not feeling well. Maybe you can cheer her up."

"Hmph. I hope you didn't do anything to my kid sister, bub. You'd better go and see what's up."

Ranma pushed his way through. "OK, OK! Jeez, would you people just leave me alone!?" He ascended the stairs, and marched straight to Akane's room. The familiar duck sign greeted him silently. _Ok, here goes..... _His hand flew up to the wood, but stopped centimeters from contact. _Oh, man, listen to her bawl! I know she ain't in any mood to see me. Gosh, what am I thinking? I can't do this..._

_**But if I don't do it now, things will never get better. I have to apologize...**_

_Have to? No I don't! Not if I'm gonna get whacked for it, I'm not! Forget it. I'll wait 'till she's calmed down a bit. Maybe even 'till tomorrow. Yeah, that's a plan._

He lowered his hand from the door, and padded away to his own room. He slid open the door, and shuffled in quietly. He sighed. _Man, what a day. I'm glad it's over..._

"What are you doing?"

Ranma looked up to see Jason, sitting there, looking at his saxaphone. He had been working on it, but he stopped when Ranma had entered.

"Huh?"

Jason didn't look at him. He spoke while staring at his sax. "I said, what are you doing?"

Ranma plopped himself on his futon. "What's it look like I'm doing? I'm gettin ready for bed."

"I'm sorry. What I meant is, what are you NOT doing?"

"Allrighty, now you've got me confused."

Jason swiveled in place to look at Ranma. Ranma was startled when he saw the ice in Jason's eyes. "You were supposed to apologize to Akane. Have you done so?"

"No, but..."

"Then go do it."

Ranma glared at him. "Huh. No way, man. She's ready to kill something. I can't go in there."

"No, she's not. She's waiting for you, Ranma."

"For me?"

"Didn't you hear? She's calling you're name. She wants to see you, Ranma."

"Ha. You've got to be kidding me."

Jason stood up, and approached Ranma. He got down on one knee, and looked Ranma straight in the eye. _Oh, crap. He's pissed now,_ Ranma thought. He saw the fire there, behind the ice. There was anger there, not just an cold stare. "You asshole."

"Wha?"

"You hurt her. You hurt her bad. And yet, here you are, letting her cry, letting her feel the pain. What an ass you are. I thought you cared for her. I thought you loved her, Ranma Saotome."

"Where'd you get that crazy idea?"

"It's in your eyes. The way you look at her. The way you act around her. You are desperatly in love with her, but you deny it so vehemently. It's disgusting."

"Hey, watch what you call me."

"I'm only stating the truth. Why do you refuse it, Ranma? Why do you deny it? Don't you want to embrace it? Your feelings for her? Your passion? Your love?"

Ranma almost laughed in his face, for saying such things, until he took another look into Jason's eyes. _Man, this guy's serious! But why? I don't like her. She'd just as soon kill me as kiss me._

_**That's not true. You like her. What's wrong with that?**_

_"It wasn't our choice! Our parents forced us into it!"_

"So? The engagement was planned. The love wasn't."

Ranma realized he had screamed those last few words. He quickly dropped his head.

Jason realized what had just been said. "So that's why. It's the engagement. You don't want to admit that you like her, because it would validate an engagement that you never agreed to. Your hanging on to the fact that you never wanted to become engaged."

Ranma nodded. "I had another life. Before all this. Why did I have to get stuck here? I want the old life back. It was good back then."

"We play with the cards that life deals us Ranma. You can't change what happened. It was wrong, true. But that doesn't mean you need to take it out on Akane. It's not her fault you two are engaged."

Ranma nodded again. "I know, I know. But, why her? Why did I have to fall in love with her? It's not like I wanted to be engaged to her..."

"That has nothing to do with it. The engagement didn't create your relationship. It only brought you two together. It was you two that began to like each other. You fell in love with each other. The engagement didn't force you into it. You could have hated each other, but instead, you went the other way."

Ranma stayed silent. _He's right. I know he's right. But.... Why her? If we weren't engaged..._

Jason seemed to read his thoughts. "Do you think it would have been different, had you not been engaged?"

Ranma stayed quiet for a while. Then, "Yes. I wouldn't be arguing with anybody over the engagement. It would be just the two of us as friends. It would be different."

"Nope. That's where you're wrong. You still love each other. That wouldn't change. What would change are the obstacles between you and her. Namely, the engagement. But you know..... It's only an obstacle if you choose to let it sit there. You need to overcome your fear of the engagement. Forget about it. Its invalid, and you know it. The only engagement that works is the one that comes out of your lips."

Ranam looked up. _He's right. Its our parents problem, not ours._ "But now what? I can't right that wrong now."

"That's not your concern anymore, Ranma. Akane is. And from what I hear, she deserves an apology. And maybe more." He turned back to his case. "That's not to say that you need to do it alone." He pulled out a small, silver harmonica from his case. "Just go. Don't worry. I'll be right behind you. You'll hear me."

Ranma looked at Jason. _Man. This guy is so... wise. He just knows so much. He's really a great friend. _Ranma stood up, and clenched his fist. "All right, then. I'm going. Don't worry. I'll fix this mess." He proudly stepped out of his room, and quickly strode over to Akane's room. He was about to open the door, when a loud sob stopped him. There, the great Ranma Saotome stood. The invincible martial artist, defeater of many hordes of enemies. And here he stood, not able to cross a few inches of space.

_Oh man. This isn't right. It's not right. I don't love her!_

_**Yes, I do. She's incredible. I don't wanna let her go.**_

_This is not my place! This is not my fight!_

_**Then who's?**_

The battel raged on. Heart versus mind. His consious, logical processes were conflicting with his sub-consious longing. He couldn't budge. A heat grew in his stomach as the flames inside of him were stoked.

_What do I do?_

_**Go in.**_

_I can't!_

Just then, music flowed into his ear. Jason had struck up a light, snappy tune. It wasn't complicated. It wasn't romantic. It was.... calming. Ranma heard Akane begin to settle down. The harmonica was soothing her nerves. _It's now or never. I gotta go in._ The song settled into a pattern of longer, drawn out notes. Ranma almost wanted to turn away, and just listen, but he knew why Jason was playing. It was for him. _Thank you, Jason. I can do this now._ And on a nice, high-pitched note, he entered Akane's room.

Her head was buried in a pillow, but no loud crying could be heard. The occasional sob racked her body, but she was calm. _Oh man. I did this to her? _The realization of it pained him tremendously, but he took steps, one by one, until he reached Akane's bedside. The music continued to go on.

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The song reminded Akane of a porch. A house, in the middle of a grassy plain. A man, sitting on a bench, playing his tune. He was watching his kids play out front. They loved to hear their father play his songs. A lovely woman was standing in the doorway. She was calm, at peace. _Oh my. What a sight. I wish.... I could be her. I want to be that woman._

A hand reached out to touch her shoulder. _Now who is it? Kasumi again? Nabiki? No, the hand is rough. Father, then. Mr. Saotome even. I don't want them. I want..... I want to see Ranma. Damn, him, where is he?_

"Hey.... Akane?"

Akana flinched. _Ranma? That was Ranma.... He's here...._

Akane lifter her head. The tears had created streaks of red that exended down her cheeks. She tried to brush it off, but to no avail. She sniffed a bit, then turned to Ranma. "Yes?"

Ranma was looking at Akane, but he turned his head. Akane was shattered. _What? What was he going to say? Oh never mind. He won't say it. He can't. Cause it's not true. I was a fool. Such a childish, little fool...._

"I'm.... sorry, Akane."

Akane whipped her head to him. _Sorry? Did he.... just say he's sorry?_ "Oh, Ranma, i-its' all right. Don't be so nice. It's not you, it's just.... Oh, I'm glad that you came. but you see, its just that..... well.....

A hand came up, and touched her lips, ever so gently. She looked over and saw Ranma's eyes. They were focused, intent, yet oh so soft. _Wow. He's so handsome. What do I say? Oh, what do I do?_

Ranma leaned his head close to hers. She was startled, and almost backed away. _He's gonna kiss me. Ohgodohgodohgodohgod....._ He spoke softly, sweetly. "It's okay, Akane. Relax. It's all my fault. I was being a jerk. I was being stupid. But not anymore. Akane, I......." He stopped mid-sentence. "I like you. A lot. I... care for you. You don't need to say anything. Just..... please, don't cry. It hurts when you cry."

Akane couldn't help it. The tears began to well up again, but this time, they were happy tears. Tears of joy. "Oh, Ranma!" She leaped up, and embraced him strongly. He was caught off-balance, and they tumbled to the floor. Ranma almost landed on Akane, but he stopped the fall with his forearms. However, this little manuver brought his lips level with hers. Their noses were touching.

_Now what? _He couldn't think of what to do.

**_I'm such a wimp. Just kiss her. _**His heart, however, had an idea.

He took a small breath, and as Jason's ballad came to a close, their lips touched. Ranma relaxed his arms, and let gravity press them together. His hands stroked her hair, as their kiss became more intense. Akane squeezed him around the waist, and her mouth opened up. They explored the depths of their mouths, letting their tounges flick and stroke each other. Ranma carressed her cheed with the back of his hand, and ran a finger down her neck, then brought it back up her chin. Her hands had started to move around his back, rubbing him gently, tracing his backbone. Their eyes stayed open, and they stared into the other's pupils. Ranma's dark blue eyes searched Akane's brown ones.

_This.... this is a taste of heaven. It has to be. Jason.... thank you._

When a lack of oxygen forced them to part, two smiling faces faced each other. Ranma was the first to speak. "Man, I'm such a wimp. Why didn't I think of this sooner."

Akane giggled. "It's because you're stupid."

Ranma tried to frown and glare. "Tomboy." But he couldn't keep a straight face, and laughed along with her. Then, they kissed again, this time unaided by Jason's tune. Instead, the young musician was standing in the doorway, watching the two lovers. He had the urge to smile, but kept that to himself. _Finally. That's one problem solved. I guess Ranma wasn't so dense after all. But I think I'll leave them alone for now._ He quietly shut the door, as Ranma and Akane finally revealed their true feelings through actions.

_I love you, Akane._

_I love you, Ranma._

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AN: No, no, they didn't have sex, not this time. But yes, Ranma and Akane finally did it. Man, that was a difficult bit to write, seeing as how Takahashi never lets them reveal their feelings for each other. But hey, I'm not Takahashi, so I'm not gonna torture you like this. Now, I know that some fics tend to leave a story like this. Nope, not me. I'm going to try and tie up every loose end up I can find. Even Jason's gonna get a girl. (Ooops, was that saying too much?) Well, I'll let you guess on who it could be. (Hint, hint: It ain't Cologne)

The deal with the bold italics (**_Like this_**) and the regular italics(_Like this_) is that this is Ranma's heart and mind, respectively. His heart wants to say what it feels, while his mind wants to hold it back. However, after the kiss, his mind and heart will agree with each other, so there will be no more heart-thought. Anything that Ranma is thinking from now on will be in regular italics.

Oh, and Jason does play the harmonica. Actually, I'm probably gonna have him play any number of instruments. Piano, maybe, acoustic guitar, 12-string, you know, whatever. And the song this time will be a bit harder to find. Using Kazaa, search for 'Harmonica', or 'Cowboy Bebop', or both together. This song is the one from the episode of Cowboy Bebop where the weird immortal kid plays the harmonica all the time. It ain't that hard to find, but I don't know the actual name.


	4. Settling Dust, and the Old Man's Gift

Disclaimer: You know, needs a general disclaimer.... I'm tired of saying the obvious. Ranma Takahashi, and whatever else.

Note: Before I forget, the reason that Happosai is not here......... I just don't like the guy. He ruins the mood, especially the serious parts. Whine, complain, moan all you want, he's probably not gonna show.

_Chapter Four: Settling Dust, and the Old Man's Gift_

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Ranma awoke when he heard a strange beeping noise. _It sounds like an alarm clock, but I don't have mine set to anything._ He realized that it was Monday. _That means I gotta get up and go to school. _He attempted to get up, when he realized a hand was resting on his chest. He looked over, and saw Akane's sleeping figure beside him. _Akane...._ He recalled the events of the night before. They had shared kiss after passionate kiss, until Akane showed signs of sleepiness. He had teased her a bit about her yawning, but he hefted her up onto her bed, kissed her again, and then had turned to leave, when she grabbed him by the sleeve.

"Ranma.... stay with me tonight...."

Ranma was a bit startled by her request, not realizing what she meant. _Oh God, is she asking me..... to sleep with her!?_ He gulped loudly, loud enough for Akane to hear. She smiled, and explained. "You pervert. That's not what I meant. Just lay here, next to me." Ranma had relaxed, and fell onto the bed next to her. They had continued talking, quietly teasing and cuddling, until they both fell asleep.

Ranma let his thoughts come back to the present. He softly shook Akane. _She'll get mad if I let her sleep in._ "Hey, Akane. Wake up. It's time to go to school." She stirred a bit, mumbling out a 'Ranma', before opening her eyes and spotting him. She stretched her arms and legs before sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"Morning, stupid."

"Morning, tomboy. You ready for school?"

"No."

"Me neither. I'll leave to let you get dressed, and I'll meet you downstairs." He got up, and had almost left the room, before Akane stopped him.

"Wait."

"What is it, Akane?"

"What do we.... tell everyone? Not just our family, but everyone at school?"

Ranma smiled. "The truth, dummy. What else?"

She smiled back, breaking his heart once more, before he left to go change.

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Akane came down the stairs as usual. She took her place next to Ranma, as usual. Everyone began to eat, as usual. But then, Akane did something completely UN-usual. She picked up one of her own fish cakes, and held it out to Ranma's mouth. He happily munched on the piece she offered him, then in turn gave her a piece of his rice ball. This exchange of food utterly stunned the Tendo family. Soun and Genma choked on their tea. Nabiki let a bit of rice drop from her gaping mouth. Even Nabiki, who usually kept her composure, had to put her food down and cover her mouth in surprise. Only Jason could keep a straight face. It took a whole lot of effort to keep that right corner of his mouth from twitching upwards. But inwardly, he was beaming. _Ah, finally. It seems like this week is going to be a good week._

"A-Akane??? R-Ranma??" Soun and Genma addressed their respective offspring.

They both smiled up at their fathers. "Yes?"

Nabiki managed to speak for them. "Well, you two seem to be acting rather friendly. Are you sure you're not sick? I'd better take some temperatures. Or maybe even my own. This has got to be a hallucination."

Kasumi, however, broke the mood with her own comment. "Well, I think that it's wonderful that Ranma and Akane are getting along so well. They're really acting like an engaged couple now."

Ranma and Akane grinned, then threw the biggest bombshell by giving each other a small kiss. Jason clamped down hard. _Those two are gonna kill me. This is just too funny._ But he somehow managed not to laugh, although he couldn't stop the lopsided grin from appearing.

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Ranma and Akane, once vile enemies, crossed the school courtyard together, arm in arm, for the first time in a while. Every pair of eyes was drawn to the unlikely couple, as they entered the school. Even Kuno was frozen solid, as he watched his 'love' pass by happily with his archenemy. _SAOTOME........ AND AKANE!? THIS CANNOT BE!!!_ From afar, Kodachi witnessed with exteme contempt as Akane led her darling into school. _Why..... why would my darling Ranma be with her!??_

All throughout the day, students kept whispering to each other. The rumor had started. Like wildfire, everyone in school, even the professors, knew about the new couple. It amazed everyone. During lunch, Ranma and Akane tried to sit together, but their respective friends drew them away for an interrogation.

Ranma's buddies were rather excited about it. "So, did ya kiss her yet? Really? Did ya get to see her naked? What? C'mon, man, ya gotta put up the moves!" Ranma was trying in vain to defend himself from the barrage of questions, but they were coming too quickly to answer.

Akane was stuck in a similar predicament. "So, what was he like? Oh, don't be shy, is he a good kisser? Really? Did you get a feel? Oh, you're such a stiff!" Akane quickly turned several shades of red with each question escalating in detail. But she managed to get away from her little group and head over to Ranma. When his friends saw her approaching, they nudged Ranma in the ribs, and scuttled away to watch from afar.

Akane sat down next to Ranma, who was lounging under the shade of his favorite tree. She was reluctant to even face him, with all the gazes from her fellow students. However, Ranma swiveled to face away from Akane, and laid his head down on her lap. She smiled, and they began to converse, forgetting all about the witnesses of their new closeness.

"You embarrassed?"

"Heh. I was."

"And now?"

Akane bent over and pecked him on the lips. "What does it matter?"

Ranma smiled. "Nothing, tomboy. Nothing at all."

She faked a frown. "Stupid."

"Uncute."

"Jerk."

And this continued all through the lunch period. They eventually fed themselves, occasionally tossing food into the other's mouth. It was a relaxed lunch. The initial fear of getting this close during school had worn off. Ranma closed his eyes, savoring the moment. _Ya know...... I could get used to this._

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Jason was wandering the streets of Nerima, familiarizing himself with the various shops and locations. _The town's not that big. It won't be too long before I really learn the lay of the land._ He rounded another corner, and halted when he saw a warm sight. A small little shop, with a sign that said 'Musical Instruments', was visible from down the street. Jason picked up the pace, and soon found himself standing in front of it. An array of flutes, drums, and guitars stood in the front window of the store. Some were the traditional Japanese instruments, but Jason spotted some more familiar sights, such as a trombone, and an electric bass. He also read a small poster on the window that said, 'Closing Soon'. _What a shame. There aren't too many places like this anymore. Oh, man, I wish I could own a place like this._ He opened the door, and walked in.

It was a cozy enough store. On the left, a cashiers desk with a hollow frame held some of the smaller instruments. On the right, shelves lined with larger cases ran along the entire breadth. A few stand-alone racks held cleaning tools and booklets to aid a musician. An older man was sitting behind the counter. Jason approached him.

"Hello, sir. How are you doing?"

"Why, hello there, young man. And what brings you to my store? Is there anyting... specific you need?"

"I'd like to ask a question about the poster on the window. Are you really gonna close up?"

The man sighed. "Oh, yes. I've had this store for 15 years. Seems like forever. But lately, fewer and fewer people have come by. These old pieces don't catch the fancy of young people these days. Although, that electric contraption back there is quite popular with todays crowd."

Jason nodded. "Tell me about it. I don't many kids take up the old stuff anymore. They like the rock bands. Not that I'm saying they're bad, but the older stuff never dies."

The man looked at him with understanding. "I see you play something. You seem to know a lot."

"Yes, I play a variety of things. My favorite is the alto sax."

"Ahh, yes. A beautiful instrument. Too bad the guitar is the favorite of the young ones."

Jason agreed. _Too many kids take up the guitar, only to mimic the concerts and the CD's they listen to._ "It's a pity, indeed. But tell me, old man; why close the store?"

"Oh, that. Retirement is not so far away anymore. I'm not much of an active person. My son owns an estate out in the country. He is very well off, playing with his satellites and his rockets. They pay him very handsomely to send those things hurling into space. Ahh, how the times have changed. But I'm rambling. Yes, this store doesn't carry its weight as well as it used to. I'm going to miss this town, but I value my remaining years above my past ones."

"Are you going to sell?"

"Sadly, I'm not selling it. I'm being cheated of it, but there is nothing I can do. An outlet store wants this little spot, and they are buying out at a ridiculous price. Barley 5 of what its worth."

"Horrible. And the instruments?"

"I have no use for them. I was going to donate them to the local school, but they would just collect dust on the shelves. Today, I seal the deal with that wretched corporation. Ah, I wish there was some other way....."

Jason pondered for a moment. _Interesting. It may not be much, but I would have something to bring in some money during the weekdays. And on weekends I play my gigs..... Hmm. I wonder how much it would cost...._

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Ranma and Akane laughed all the way home. The gasps they heard when they left school, hand in hand, were priceless. "Oh my, and I thought she hated boys." "Forget hating boys, I thought they hated each other." "Well, they do live together, it was bound to happen." "But they argued so much, how could they even stand looking at each other?"

"Y'know, Akane; I could get used to this."

Akane giggled. "I already am, Ranma. It's not like this is so different from what usually happens."

Ranma looked over at her, puzzled. "What? We used to fight all the time. This is definitly different from the way it was."

"I'm not so sure. I mean, sure, we had our arguments. God, did we have THOSE. But there were times, those few, precious times, when we got close. We were just never aware of how close we were. But now we know. Now, we're not afraid of it."

Ranma stared up at the blue sky. "Yeah. It's good now. I like it."

A head rested on his arm. "Me too, Ranma. Me too."

They finished their walk home, and were greeted by their family estatically. Soun and Genma were hugging each other in pure joy. "Saotome, look at this! Marvelous, isn't it? Our children, together, finally! The Anything-Goes future is secure!"

"Truly wonderful, Tendo! Our ancestors would be proud, I'm sure of it!"

Kasumi was back to her normal self. She took the couple as though it had always been that way. "Well, you two, I hope you're hungry, because I'm cooking an extra special meal, in celebration."

Nabiki snickered. "Yeah. The loverbirds finally landed on the same branch. I am SOOOO happy." The sarcasm could be seen dripping from her mouth.

Akane, with a clever smile on her face, one-upped her older sister. "Oooh, Nabiki! Jealous?" And she pulled Ranma upstairs before Nabiki could respond.

"Hmph. She's a bit arrogant."

Kasumi lightly scolded her younger sibling. "Now, Nabiki, I think we should be happy that those two stopped fighting. It's going to be a lot more peaceful now, don't you think?" She smilied sweetly.

Nabiki huffed again, but she conceded. "I guess. Maybe I'll get used to it before I head off to college."

Upstairs, Ranma got on workout clothes, while Akane did the same in her room. _It still seems a bit strange. After all this time, we're finally together, and I can't help but wonder how we got here._ He remembered his quiet new friend. _It was Jason. That sly old fox gave me the courage I needed to tell Akane how I felt. Not to mention his music being so calming._ He finished donning his garbs, and trotted down the stairs to the dojo.

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"Faster, Akane. You need to come off the roll faster, or else a downward strike will crush you." Ranma was tutoring Akane on some advanced techniques of the Anything-Goes Style. Before Ranma arrived, she had practiced steadily, and had been the best martial artist in town. But with all that went on involving Ranma and his rivals and his other fianceés, she had gone lax on her usual level of training. This fact hadn't been lost on Ranma, and so, he decided to focus on making Akane a great fighter.

First on his list of things to improve was her reaction time. It wasn't by any means slow, but one of the principals of Anything-Goes was to be prepared for anything. A quick reaction here or there could save a match. And so, for the very first time, Ranma attacked Akane. He of course pulled his punches, but he kept them fast, so Akane had to work hard in order not to take a hit.

She had done well, in Ranma's opinion. She wasn't bad, only rusty. A few more days of these routines, and Akane would be at her peak again. After all, martial arts was like riding a bike. You don't ever forget, you just need time to remember.

"Ok, Akane, one last run. 20 strikes, full-frontal. Ready, set, GO!" He charged at Akane, right fist cocked, ready to deliver a vicious right hook. Akane tried not to anticipate the attack, expecting a fake, but her left arm insinctivly rose to meet it. Ranma swung his arm down, opened his palm, and rolled into a leap, feet first, ready to deliver three kicks at knee level. Akane blocked the first two with her right foot, then jumped over Ranma's flying form to evade the last one. Ranma landed squarely, then leaped upwards and backwards, rotating quickly to build momentum for his next barrage. He threw three punches, which were really just whacks from his extended arms. Akane knocked each one away, but failed to put distance between her and Ranma's landing spot. He touched down in close range, and flicked his foot out twice to try and tap the outside thigh. She twisted her lower body to the side, and threw her hands over the kicking leg. She did a full sideways flip, and let her momentum carry her into a roll that put distance between her and Ranma. Ranma's remaining 12 attacks came in a complicated tornado of punches, kicks, and even a headbutt in the middle of it. Akane successfully deflected every attack, except for the headbutt, which threw her off-guard. It glanced off her chest, but she regained her composure, and finished fending of the last few blows.

"Good. The roll was nice and quick, but you didn't expect that head hit, did ya?"

Akane plopped onto the wooden floor, and caught her breath. "Nope. That was dirty, Ranma. I assumed you wanted to get a feel of my chest, without using your hands."

Ranma put on a hurt face. "Now, you think I'm the kind of guy that would do that to ya? Whatever is this world coming to?"

Akane stood up, and playfully bopped him in the gut. "C'mon, let's go eat. I'm starving."

"You pig. All you think about is food."

"Oh? And whose the #1 consumer of food in this house?"

"Oh, that's easy. My dad."

"He eats bamboo half the time, stupid."

"Tomboy."

"Jerk."

"Yeah, yeah, I love you, too."

Akane smiled, and hopped on Ranma's back. "What would you do without me?"

"Marry Shampoo."

"That's not funny, it's....."

"......Scary. I know.", Ranma finished it for her. They laughed, as Ranma carried his love to the dining room.

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They found Jason there, already seated, discussing something with Nabiki, who seemed genuinely interested. Akane found it strange that Nabiki was actually having a conversation with the normally quiet Jason. _It must have something to do with money._

Soun and Genma welcomed the two kids, and Jason greeted his buddy with his lopsided grin. "Hey, Ranma, what's up?"

"Nothing. You seem happy 'bout something."

"You bet. I just came across something so cool you just have to see it. It's an old music store that this old man was going to practically give away. I convinced him to let me have it for the same price, on the condition that I keep the store the way it is. He was so happy that he didn't have to let that outlet store have it."

"Wow, you bought a store? How could you afford it?"

"I couldn't. That's what Nabiki and I were discussing. She's come up with this genius way to pay off the rent using a system of intrest-generating accounts, so all I would have to cover would be the actual merchandise. I don't have to pay the man directly. Over a period of two years, I'll pay the corporation's price, plus intrest. It was the only way he could get the rights away from them."

Akane's eyes grew wide. "That means you're gonna stay here for two years? Isn't that a little long-tem?"

"Oh, of course I'm not gonna stay here. I could never bring myself to impose on you like that."

"No, no, I mean you're gonna stay here, in Nerima, for two years."

Jason looked down. "I plan to stay here for the rest of my natural life. It's as far away from home as I can imagine."

"Why do you want to stay away from your home?"

Jason didn't answer. He only stared down at his unfinished meal.

Akane apologized quickly. "Oh, I'm sorry, if you don't wanna talk about it, that's all right..."

"Thank you. I really don't wanna talk about it." His voice had turned cold. Nobody could see his eyes. An awkward silence filled the room. Strangely enough, Nabiki was the one to touch him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his daze. "Yes?"

"I've still got some details we need to go over. Why don't you come up to my room? We'll talk there."

Jason nodded, and followed Nabiki up the stairs. Soun, Kasumi and Akane watched as their sister disappeared from view. They all turned to face each other, huddling into confrence mode.

"My, my, my daughter has never acted like that."

"True, Father, true. I wonder if......"

".......She likes him?" Akane finished the thought.

Genma and Ranma looked at the crouching trio. Ranma cocked an eyebrow, while Genma only shrugged. They finished their meals, and sat down to watch some TV.

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Nabiki lay sideways on her bed, while Jason faced the ceiling, eyeing a sheet that Nabiki had given her.

"So.... this is how we're gonna do it?"

Nabiki nodded. "Yup. By filtering amount of money from account to account, they gain intrest faster than a pile of money just sitting there. You'll be able to keep that shop open, no problem."

Jason nodded. "Thanks, Nabiki. It really means a lot to me. But, why...."

She interupted him. "Profit. Remember, we agreed on me getting a teensy cut of your yearly income after the first four months. It ain't out of charity, bud." She looked over at him. He was staring intently at the sheet. _This must really mean a lot to the old boy._ "Yo, Jason?" She saw that he remained staring blankly. She started to speak again, when she noticed that the corner of his mouth was twitching, ever so slightly. _Is he trying not to laugh or what? What is up with him?_ "Yo, Jason, just what is so funny?"

"I wasn't gonna ask why you're helping me. I was gonna ask, why do you put that weird little tail on your signature."

She didn't say anything. Jason slowly got up, as to not disturb the laughter contained within him. He walked out of the room, and closed the door quietly behind him. With a howl that hadn't come out of his mouth since he arrived, he burst in to sporadic fits of laughter.

Nabiki heard this, and for the first time, was caught off-guard. She couldn't think of and come-backs. She thought about the man that was outside of her room, cackling like a hyena. She blushed, ever so slightly. _Ya know..... he IS kinda cute....._

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AN: Aww, not much of a chapter, huh? Well, set up chapters are necessary, ya know. But it wasn't a complete dissapointment. And before anyone complains, I know that you can't just decide to buy out a store on a whim, but hey, its a fanfic. I'll do whatever the hell I want.

No song this time. Sad for you? Grow up. Go learn the flute or something. Bang on some pots. Play the spoons.

Ahh, so it is revealed. Nabiki like Jason. Not too far-fetched, I hope? Naaahh, didn't think so. Well, like I said, a quiet chapter. Not to many notes, either.


	5. Three Stooges, and the Phoenix from the ...

Disclaimer: I can't think of any more saracastic disclaimers. Oh, what's the world coming to? (By the way, Takahashi owns all Ranma rights.)

Forenote: In response to one reviewer's question, Ukyo, Ryoga, Shampoo, and others will be making an appearance in this story. Mostly, they'll be dealing with the fact that Ranma and Akane are together, and finding ways to cope with it. How will they take it? Who will find love, and who will lose their way? I wonder......

_Chapter Five: Three Stooges, and a Phoenix from the Food Tray_

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It was another sunny day at Furinkan High School. Ranma and Akane were still the main topic of gossip around campus, but their immediate friends had calmed down about it for the most part. Still, it humored the pair to see eyes bulge as they passed by. The whispers and rumors they heard were, for the most part, just silly stretchings of the truth. They took it in stride, bathing in their newfound fame. Kuno, however, persisted in separating the two with flowery poetry and ill-placed attacks. But he never was a match for Ranma, and with Akane at his side, the teens were unbeatable.

Walking home from school under the blazing sun, Ranma's stomach decided to let its emptiness be known. A feral growl startled Akane. "What was that?"

Ranma patted his gut lovingly. "Ah, the old boy's running low on fuel. Let's get something to snack on."

Akane put on her best disapproving look. "By snack, you mean second lunch."

"Oh, don't be so modest."

They continued walking, until Ranma spied his favorite restaurant. "Hey, its Ukyo's! Let's go, Akane!" And he excitedly pulled her in. Akane's blood ran cold, as she realized that Ukyo had no clue about their relationship. The only thing she might have heard would be the rumors flying around school. _Uh oh. I hope this doesn't lead to any trouble._

"Hello, Ucchan! How've ya been?" Ranma took a seat at the bar-grill, and smiled at his old friend. Akane timidly sat next to him. Ukyo was busy with a few other orders, and didn't respond to Ranma's greeting, until she had served out two platters of food. Then, with deliberate conviction, she slowly turned to face her fianceé. Ranma threw his hands up in horror at her face. The smile was evil, her eyes were slits, and with poison-tipped words, she grabbed Ranma's ear, and pulled him close.

"Ranma.....", she didn't refer to him by the playful 'Ranchan', "do you know what I heard in school today?" He shook his head quickly. She leaned in closer, and all Akane could hear was 'psst, psst, psst'. Ranma jumped back, and waved his hands around frantically.

"N-N-Nooo!!! We.... We NEVER did anything like THAT!!! Who told you that we did THAT!!??"

"Really?" She didn't stop staring him down, but some softness had come back in her voice.

"Really, REALLY!!! I-I don't know were that came, from, but it's not true! Believe me, Ucchan, it didn't happen!"

Ukyo clapped her hands together, and her face went back to her usual smiling ways. "Oh, that's so good to hear! For a second there, I was worried! I mean, c'mon, you and Akane, a couple? Really, the nerve of some people!"

"Uhhh.... Ucchan?"

Ukyo looked over at Ranma? He had taken his seat again, but this time, his arm was wrapped around Akane. He was trying to grin, but it came out as a grimace. "We..... we ARE a couple, Ucchan. Just not as serious as the rumors say."

"Aaaaiiiiiiieeeeeeee!!!!" Ukyo leaped over the counter, landed next to Akane, and pulled her close. "Now Akane, Ranma's joking, right? I know how much you two fight. Just tell me that this is all some elaborate scheme, or some hidden camera show. C'mon, buddy. PLEASE tell me this ain't real. It's a joke, right, sugar?"

Akane gave Ukyo a little hug, and then turned to Ranma and laid her head on his arm. "Sorry, Ukyo."

"Ah-Aaah, b-but, y-you two.... I-I, c-can't believe...." Ukyo hung her head. She made her way around the bar, picked up a spatula, and silently began to flip some more _okonomiyaki._ Akane looked over at the downtrodden teen. _I forgot. She really like Ranma. I hope she doesn't take this to harshly. Even though she always tried to get Ranma for herself, she was still a friend. I'd better cheer her up._

"Hey, Ranma? Can you leave us alone for a while? I think we need to have a girl-to-girl talk."

Ranma gulped down a large piece of food, and gave Akane a solemn look. "Is it going to be okay?"

Akane only shrugged. Ranma dug in his pocket for some change, placed it on the counter, and left his two fianceés alone. _Great. I didn't think Ukyo would take it like that. I only hope Akane can cheer her up._

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Jason shuffled around some files, looking for a select few. _Cool. I found it._ He placed the last sheet into a manilla folder, wrapped a rubber band around it, and placed it into a side pocket on his case. _Now to head over to the shop._ Jason, Nabiki, and the old man were planning to meet in the shop to make the deed transfer, before the man left to live his peaceful retirement with his son. Nabiki had yet to come back from school, but she would no doubt remember, so there was no need for Jason to wait up for her.

His thoughts wandered to the calculating young girl. _She really is clever. But she's such a loner, never talking unless absolutely necessary. Reminds me a little of myself. _"Hmph." _I'm not really so cold, am I? Ahh, what the heck. Now's not the time. I gotta get over to the store._

Jason hefted his case onto his shoulder, and made his way down the stairs. He waved to the dueling fathers, and to Kasumi, who was dusting some furniture. He crossed the yard, closed the large main doors behind him, and was about to take off, when an enraged sounding voice spoke up from behind him.

"You...... you live in the same house as Ranma Saotome!?" Jason tilted his head to see a man clad in yellow garments standing there, covered in shadows, a red hue surrounding him. _What's this joker gonna try?_ Jason didn't acknowledge him, only continued walking away.

Ryoga's fury only increased at the stranger's nonchalance. _Why, that.... I'll show him!_ Ryoga pulled out his umbrella, opened it, and flung it angrily at his opponent. Jason's finely tuned ears picked up the sounds of the attack, and he let his case fall to the ground. He somersaulted to the side, rotating to face his attacker, and at the same time, reached behind him to pull out his weapon. He landed, and let his front foot slide out. He aimed the little pistol at Ryoga, and fired. Once, twice, three times.

The little bb's struck Ryoga precisely, one on each ankle, makng him falter, and the last was place squarely in his forehead. Ryoga's eyes rolled lazily, and he fell toppled over backwards, unconsious. Jason holstered his pistol, which was hidden underneath his left arm, and took off to the music store. _Man, who the hell was that? And what does he have against Ranma. Wait.... Ranma was telling me about this one guy that had it bad for Akane.... Maybe that was him...? Aww, who cares? I gotta get to the store quickly, now that that jerk wasted my time. I don't like to be late._

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Ranma strolled lazily thourgh the familiar streets of the town. Although his calm manner betrayed nothing, inside, he was feeling a hell of a lot of things. _Ukyo..... I'm sorry, Ukyo. I didn't wanna disappoint you like that. You're my friend. Heck, you're probably my best friend. But.... Akane is more than a friend, now. I like you, Ukyo, but I love her. Can't I do both? Isn't it all right to have you as my best friend? God, I'm so confused. Why does it have to be like this? I wish that Ukyo had someone else. She deserves someone else. But she's set on me. It's too much. Too much conflict, too much friction. I don't wanna hurt anybody. But....._

"Ranma, you come here, NOW! Have some explaining to do, Ranma does!" _Oh, no.... Not this.... Not now!_ Ranma would recognize the broken Japanese anywhere. He looked up, and saw the familiar bike falling towards him. He rolled out of the way, barely evading the black rubber. He saw that Shampoo's face was contorted into a scowl, unfitting for the Amazon girl.

"Ranma, Shampoo hear you and Akane together! That true? Does Shampoo need to teach Ranma lesson?"

"Shampoo, please, just forget it! Forget the Amazon law! I can't be your husband, okay? Akane is..."

"Pervert-girl no match for Shampoo! Shampoo much better bride for Ranma! Why you no understand?"

"Arrgh! Don't you have Mousse? Can't you bother him?"

"Mousse busy at restaurant. He good waiter, but bad husband. Amazon law must be followed. Shampoo WILL marry Ranma!"

Ranma couldn't take it anymore. _God, isn't one fianceé enough? I already broke Ukyo's heart. Shampoo won't back down so easily._ "I can't deal with this, Shampoo! Just leave me alone!" And he turned tail and bolted down the street. Shampoo's face twisted even more, and she pushed off, pedaling rapidly, leaving a trail of fire in her wake.

"Ranma wait for Shampoo! This no is right!"

Ranma heard Shampoo gaining rapidly, and leapt up onto a rooftop. Shampoo abandoned her bike, and gave chase. For five minutes, the little game of cat-and-mouse persisted, until Ranma couldn't run anymore. _Man, I need to lose her! I need someplace to hide!_ Ranma touched down onto the street, and ran into the first shop he eyed. He quickly closed the door, and peered out the window. He saw Shampoo blow by, not even slowing to look for him. _Good. I lost her. Phew._ He turned around, and noticed where he was. An array of boxes, cases, and packages where scattered around. Three people were standing in a circle, discussing over a few pieces of paper. With a start, he recognized Nabiki and Jason, talking with an old man. _So this is the music store that Jason bought, huh? Wow. And Nabiki's here, too._

"Yo, Jason!"

Jason looked up, and greeted his pal. "What's up, Ranma? You look winded."

"I just escaped with my life. Man, this is ridiculous."

Jason grinned. "How many times has that happened?"

"Enough."

"I bet."

"So, what's Nabiki doin' here?"

Jason tapped his head. "She's the one with all the know-how. She's practically makin' the transfer herself."

"Are you sure?"

"What do you mean?"

Ranma nuged him in the ribs. "I mean, are you sure she ain't here for you?"

Jason held his grin steady. "Ha. You're a funny guy."

"Yeah, aren't I?"

Nabiki and the old man finished talking, and walked over to the two boys. "Well, Jason, that's that. We are now in formal possession of the deed, and the store's content as well."

Jason nodded. "That's great." He stopped smiling, and faced the old man. "Don't worry, sir. I'll take good care of the place."

"I'm sure you will." He held out his hand, and Jason met it in a firm grasp. They shook for a few seconds, then a honking noise attracted the four people's attention. "Well, that's my limo. I guess I'll be going now." He sighed. "I'm gonna miss this town."

Jason waved. "You make sure to visit, all right?"

The man laughed, and made his way out the door. With a final goodbye, he stepped into the car, and the grey Lincoln took off, leaving a cloud of dust behind it.

"He was a good guy." Jason turned to his store, and smiled. "What a place. My store." _Which reminds me..._ "Nabiki?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you say, 'we are in possession'?"

Nabiki grinned cruely, and showed him the deed. "Technically, we own it together, since I own the accounts that filter money to your accounts." She patted him on the head. "But don't worry. I'll leave it to you. I'll take care of the rent, you worry about the actual store. Decorate however you wish." She placed a finger under his chin, and stepped in close. "Don't get any ideas, buddy-boy." She waved carelessly, and left the store without another word.

Ranma stood awkwardly, his head tilted in disbelief. "Well.... that was interesting." Jason struggled to keep his face in check. _She's sly. And sexy. I'd better watch myself around her. Don't wanna fall into one of HER traps._ But couldn't help but wonder about the young woman that had just helped him out so tremendously......

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Ukyo had closed the store early, much to the disappointment of her customers. She locked the doors, and didn't even bother to clean the tables. She just sat down on one of them, and buried her head in her hands. Akane looked over to her sorrowfully. _Now we can talk. Oh, I hope she doesn't take it too hard. I couldn't live with myself if she did._

Akane walked over to her, and pulled out a chair next to her. She tried to see Ukyo's expression, but all she heard were quiet sobs. _She's crying. She's really hurt by this whole thing._ Akane proceeded to rub her back gently. "Hey, Ukyo..." The chef lowered her hands a bit, and Akane spotted tear-strained eyes over the tips of her fingers. _Why did it have to be this way?_ "I'm..... I'm sorry about all this. It happened so quickly, I didn't even realize what it meant. You cared about him a lot, didn't you?" She recieved a nod in response. _Good. At least she's listening._ "I know you did. You were his best friend. Heck... you still are his best friend. He still cares about you a whole lot, ya know."

"But.... he sniff he loves you, Akane. He's yours, not mine. How can we be together?"

"In all reality, Ukyo.... you can't. Not in the way you wanted it. But you can still be there for him, as a friend."

"But.... But I loved him, Akane. He was one of the only people I even knew. Do you know how lonely I was? Do you realize that he was my only friend?"

"And I took him away. God, Ukyo, I'm so sorry. If there was another way..... but there isn't. I hate to be so selfish, but..."

"I understand. You know.... we're not that different, Akane. We both love him. But.... you're the only one he loves, back."

Akane changed her tone a bit. "That's not true. He loves you too, Ukyo. There are different levels of affection, different levels of care a person can show another. I just have... a different one with him than you do."

"He meant the world to me, Akane..... He was my life...."

Akane looked down. _She's right. For ten years, her life was devoted to deafeating Ranma, and when they finally met again, she fell for him. I can't even begin to understand... but I can't let her mope like this. She's got to live her life._

"Ukyo.... I can't say much... but I'll say what I can. I can't sympathize with what you've been through. But.... I know that Ranma isn't the only great guy ouy there. There are others, for sure. You just have to look hard enough. And besides..." Akane gave her a cheeky smile, "...we'll be here for ya. After all, we are you're friends."

Ukyo pondered this for a bit. "Really?"

"Of course. Ranma's already close to you, and now you got me. We'll stand by you, no matter what. We're you're friends." She lowered her voice. "It's what we have to give. Our friendship. Our trust. Tell me, Ukyo, do you trust us?"

Ukyo looked up, into Akane's face. She saw a sincerity there that made her heart melt. _She really means it.... She's my friend. And Ranma.... well, I guess I can't have him. After ten years, I can't have him. Such a waste.... of ten years._

"I just feel.... so helpless. Like nothing's gone right."

"You're right. Nothing has gone right for you. But you wanna know why? It's because you were alone. It's because you didn't have friends. I hope, that when you accept us as friends, you'll see that there's more to life than you know."

Ukyo sat up fully. _Friends... my friends. It's got a nice ring to it. Maybe.... Maybe I can live with this. After all, I've gone long enough as a loner._ "Friends, Akane?"

Akane's smile grew enormous. "Ukyo, baby.... you might as well be family."

Ukyo grinned, just a bit. "The way you're family acts, I'd be scared to consider it."

Akane burst out laughing. Ukyo chuckled, then giggled, and eventually joined Akane in a chorus of happiness. _Friends, huh? I could get used to it._

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The day was drawing to a close. Evening was in full bloom, and the various members of the Tendo household made their way home. Ranma, Jason, and Nabiki were the first to arrive, and the first sight that greeted them was a little black piglet with a yellow scarf running out to them angrily.

"Well, well, if it isn't P-Chan. Hello, pig. What's up, you get lost or something?"

"Bwee, bwee!" Uncomprehensible squeals answered him.

Jason leaned in. "P-Chan?"

Ranma lowered his voice. "That's Ryoga, the guy I was tellin' you about. He's got a Jusenkyo curse, too, but Akane and the rest don't know about it. Ya gotta keep it quiet, all right?"

"Yeah, sure. Ya know, I met him, before I left the house this afternoon?"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. He got real mad, and hocked his umbella around. I had to resort to desperate measures."

"Whadda you mean?"

Jason snuck a peek at Nabiki, to make sure she had already gone inside, then pulled out his pistol. Ranma freaked.

"A gun!?"

"SSHHHH!!! No, it's just a BB pistol. I use it when I have to, since I don't know any martial arts. I'm a pretty good marksman, if I have to say so myself."

"Well, it wouldn't be a good idea to keep that hidden for too long. Somebody's gonna find out sooner or later."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get around to it. Just keep it a secret until later, okay?"

"Sure, no problem."

They walked inside the house, just as Akane and Ukyo rounded the corner of the street. They saw the two boys scurry into the house. _Now what were those two up to?_

"Uhh, Akane? Who was that with Ranchan?"

"Oh, that's Jason, our new houseguest. We took him in after the music festival. He's quite the musician, and Ranma and he get along very well."

"Oh, that's good to hear. What's he like?"

"He's very quiet, except for when he's playing a song. I think Nabiki has the hots for him."

"Really? Wow, Nabiki, who'd have thought?"

"Not any of us. I don't think Jason even realizes it, the poor guy."

The girls walked in together, and the sight made Ranma sigh loudly. _Phew. Ucchan's all right. But I still have to make it up to her. Well, it's now or never._ He got up from the porch, and walked over to her. They met on the path, and Akane hurried over to the porch, to sit and watch. _I hope he doesn't mess this up for her._

"Ucchan.... I'm sorry. It's just....." He hung his head. "I thought that..."

Ukyo spoke up. "It's all right, Ranchan. If I wanted to get you, I should have acted sooner. It's my fault..."

"No, Ucchan. Nothing's nobody's fault. It's just how things happen. But if it's any consolidation...." He stepped close. "I did kinda like you. Fact is, I still do. But now... we can't be lovers. All I can offer is my friendship. C'mon, Ucchan.... for old times' sake?"

Ukyo looked up at him. _Gosh, he's handsome. How can I say no?_ "Sure, Ranchan, friends."

He gave her a big hug, which made her blush. "Thanks, Ucchan. I promise you, you'll find somebody. And when you do, me an' Akane will be best man and woman at your wedding. It'll be great. Whadda ya say, best buddy?"

Ukyo practically beamed. "That sounds great, Ranchan."

"Now, then, you're gonna have dinner with us, and you're gonna have a good time, ya hear?"

Ukyo just laughed, and the two walked arm in arm to the dining room. Akane watched, a bit jealous, but she shook it off. _That's great. They're still the best of friends. I shouldn't get jealous. After all, Ranma's mine, and we all know it. It's not like Ukyo's gonna steal him away or anything like that...._ "Ranma, my love, I hope you aren't getting any ideas..."

"Why, whatever could you mean, Akane?"

"Oooooooh, come here, you!"

"Hey, hey, OUCH!!!" And the family, Ukyo included, laughed heartily at the couple. _Yeah,_ she thought, _I could get used to this...._

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"Wow, Kasumi, you really are a great cook!"

"Why, thank you, Ukyo. I hear that you are quite skilled yourself..."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that..."

"I've always wanted to learn _okonomiyaki_, but the cookbooks I found are very vauge on the actual methods."

"I can help you there! C'mon, I'll show ya."

"Why, thank you very much, Ukyo!"

"No problem!"

As Kasumi followed Ukyo into the kitchen, Akane felt a little down. _I seem to be the only one here who can't cook. Even Nabiki knows how not to kill someone. Oh, I wish I could learn to cook, but I can't seem to understand it._ Ranma saw Akane looking hungrily at the cooking pair. _Oh, man, I hope she doesn't feel to bad 'bout them two being real great cooks and all. I tell her it's all right if she ain't the best cook, but she always feels bad about it. I wish she wouldn't._ He got up, and snapped Akane out of her daze. "Hey, Akane, you wanna go work out?"

"Huh? Oh, sure, wait up."

He waited for her to catch up, then began talking again. "Ya know, Akane, don't feel so bad about your cooking. Not everybody can be good at everything. You've got martial arts, and you've got me, and don't forget that one time when you made those cookies, and then I ate 'em all and got sick..."

She giggled. "Yeah, I remember." Her mood turned sour again. "But, I just wish that I could cook, so that I can cook for you, and we don't have to depend on Kasumi all the time."

"If you're that concerned about it, ask Kasumi, or even Ukyo. I'm sure they'd be happy to help you out."

"Yeah...." _Kasumi would be a great teacher! All the other times I've tried to learn, it's been alone! Maybe I'll ask her, later....._ "Yeah! I'll do that!" She grabbed Ranma's shirt, and pulled him into a deep kiss. "I love you, Ranma!"

He scratched his head. "Yeah, I'm not such a bad guy...."

"Yes, you are."

"Well, thanks for raining down on my parade."

"Anytime, dummy, anytime."

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Jason pulled out his ocarina. It was one of his oldest instruments. He had gotten it as a present from his uncle years ago, when he still resided in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. _Aaahh. Those were the good old days....._ He pictured his old house, high up on the hilly lands on the outskirts of the downtown area. _That was the life. Before all the trouble began.... Before I left....._ He frowned, and tossed the flute to the other side of the room, then quickly ran back to retreive it, making sure it wasn't damaged. _Good, it's all right. I'm sorry, little ocarina, it's not you I'm mad at..... It's them..... It's my parents..... It's their arrogance, their lifestyle.... I hate them for it..._

Knock, knock Jason's thoughts were interupted by a knocking at the door. "Yes, come in." The door slid open, and Nabiki laid herself down on Ranma's futon.

"So, you ready work the shop tomorrow?"

"Sure am. I don't think I'm gonna change anything, except for a few of the burnt-out light bulbs."

"Yeah, that store sure was dark." She noticed the litte instrument in his hands. "What's that?"

He raised up the flute to the light. "It's called an ocarina. It's a little wooden flute. My uncle gave me this on my eleventh birthday. It's my favorite present up to date."

"Oh? And the music store you just practically got given isn't?"

"It's not that, it's..... it's what the flute means to me. It was the last present...... before I met my parents...."

"Huh?"

Jason almost began to talk some more, when he stopped himself. _What the hell am I doing? Telling that to her..... I'm supposed to forget about it all!_ "I'm sorry, Nabiki, but I don't wanna talk about it."

"What's wrong? Got a little secert you don't wanna share?"

His expression didn't change, but his voice sure did. "I said, I do not want to talk about it. I like to keep my business to myself." His voice was edged with a cold anger. Nabiki could see his hands gripping the wooden flute a bit harder.

"Aww, c'mon, I'm your friend, right....?"

He couldn't keep it in completely, and some of his rage escaped. He turned his head to her, and Nabiki froze at the blank, but icy stare he had. "Go away." And with that, he looked away again.

Nabiki grew frustrated. "Excuse me for trying to be friendly. I guess anti-social really does describe you." She got up, and waltzed out of the room. Jason thanked the stars for getting her out. _God, why does she have to be like that? Doesn't she have any respect for privacy?_ He looked down at the ocarina. _Man, she's so..... so arrogant.... who does she think she is, anyway.... my mother?_ With that thought, he choked on his breath, and realized what he had just done. _Oh, man..... I'm sorry, Nabiki..... I was just..... Crap, now she's gonna be pissed at me....._ He sighed, and remembered his advice to Ranma a few days ago. _Just apologize, I said. Man, who'd have thought I'd be stuck in his situation. Well, I'd better go anyways, else that would make me a hypocrite._ He got up, and strode over to Nabiki's room. He knocked softly.

"Who is it?"

"A friend."

"Liar."

Jason froze. _Well, there goes that plan...._

"You gonna come in or what?"

He let a grin appear and fade, as he opened her door. She was on her bed, covering her face with a magazine, lying on her side like she always was. _And of course, she makes it as hard as possible to even talk to her._ He spied her open window, and propped himself up into it. He took a glance outside, at the crescent moon.

"Quiet night, huh?"

"Is that it?"

Jason sighed. _So she's still mad._ "No, that's not it......" He fumbled for something to say. _What did I tell Ranma. Just say sorry.... Ha. Easier said then done, far easier._ "Sorry."

"Is that it?"

Jason looked at her, and wondered what was going on in that brown-haired head of hers. _Fine. I can play that way._

"If that's all you wanna make it."

"Nice try. Sorry for what?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Does it matter if it's obvious or not?"

"Does it matter to you?"

"Yes."

"I would think that someone of your intelligence could figure it out."

"I'm not one for rehtoric. C'mon, spill the beans."

"I snapped at you."

"Ya, I noticed."

"I didn't mean to."

"But you did."

"And I suppose I'm soley at fault for that?"

"How can this be my fault?"

Jason let his head droop. "I was angry, not at you, when you came in. I was just..... remembering something that happened, a while ago. I don't like to talk about it, so when you asked, it touched a nerve. I snapped at you, not wanting to talk about it."

Nabiki let her magazine fall away. "That still doesn't explain how it's my fault."

"It's not.... it's my fault. It's all my fault. It's just..... forget it. I'm sorry for yelling at you."

Nabiki propped her head up on her hands, and looked at him. He was staring his ocarina, like he was looking at a deceased friend. _Wow. He really feels bad about all this. I feel bad for the guy. Maybe I shouldn't get so mad with him._ "Listen, Jason......." _Why do I have the urge to apologize to him? I didn't do anything to him......_ She looked closer, at his face. _I guess I did snap at him a bit.... And call him a liar.... Maybe I should say sorry. Gosh, now I know how he feels. Well, best not to be a hypocrite._ "Listen, Jason," she repeated herself, "it's okay. No harm done. Everybody snaps sometimes. I don't want you to feel bad for my sake." _Way to not be a hypocrite, Nabiki. Man, I'm hopeless._

"Thanks, Nabiki. I really feel bad when I get angry at people. It's worse when it's not their fault."

She fell onto her back. "Okay, okay, don't get all mushy on me." She saw her remark had the desired response when Jason's mouth twitched. _Ha. He's so reclusive, never wanting to smile._

Jason looked by at her, and saw she was staring at him. He looked back outside quickly, trying to hide his blush. "Hey, you wanna hear a song?"

"Is it about me?"

"No."

"Then I'm not interested."

He chuckled, and raised the flute to his lips. He began to play a soft, quiet melody. At first, Nabiki thought he was going to try a Kuno-ish love song, but Jason picked up the tempo, and the rythym became more upbeat. _Not a love song.... it's more like a lullaby. I imagine a bunch of kids, running around, having fun. It's a nice song._ Of course, she was never going to tell him that to his face. Jason bobbed his head to the beat, and a brezee blew in through the open window. It stirred his curly hair around a bit, and Nabiki couldn't help but stare at him. _Wow. He really is good-looking. If I had to say, I'd say better than even Ranma._ She closed her eyes, and let the tune carry her worries away.

Jason finished the song, and turned to fine Nabiki, breathing slowly, eyes closed. _Asleep.... no, she's faking._ This gave Jason a brilliant idea. He got down from the ledge, and approached her, quietly, just like she expected him to. He bent down, and examined her 'sleeping form', just like she wanted him to. He drew his face close to hers, just like she wanted him to. At the last moment, she opened her eyes wide, and smiled. _Hah, _she thought,_ I caught him in the act. Now, he's gonna fall over himself, trying to deny what...._ She noticed that he didn't falter at all. In fact, he was grinning again, one corner of his mouth high above the other. _What's this joker think he's...._ He placed his hand on the back of her head, and pressed their lips together. _Wha...?_ She kept her eyes open, trying to see excatly what was forcing him to do it. His eyes were closed, as he continued the kiss. Slowly, against her will, Nabiki loosened up. Her eyes nearly closed, as she responed with her own lips. When he felt her finally kiss back, he parted, walked over to the door, and was about to leave, when he stopped.

"If you didn't like it, why didn't you stop me?" And then he left without another word.

Nabiki lay there, breathing heavily. She couldn't believe what had transpired. _That........ little.........._ She turned over, facing the wall. A furious blush encompassed her face. _How dare he say I didn't like it............. I loved it._

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AN: MUWAHAHAHAHAH!!! Nabiki got outsmarted. For those of you who didn't realize it, she was trying to make him extremely embarrassed by acting as though she was asleep, as bait for a goodnight kiss. Obviously, it didn't work. He expected her move, and got her with her guard-down. So.... what happens next? I would say it's obvious, but after the huge conversation those to had about the obvious..... I won't say anymore.

Jason's little song this time was 'Stories to Tell', another song from the Trigun OST #1, The First Donuts. It's appropriate, since that's exactly what Jason had: stories to tell. Search on Kazaa, just put in the name directly, it'll come up for sure.

So, now that dispels the wandering minds of a few readers. Ukyo is not Jason's girl: Nabiki is. Obvious, isn't it? (God, I gotta stop with this obvious crap) Don't worry, for all you Ukyo fans, I've got something up my sleeve for her. Isn't it obv.......... never mind.


	6. A Gun Held to the Little Pig's Head

Disclaimer: Ranma and Co. are the liscensed trademarked copyrighted etc. of Takahashi and Co.

_Chapter Six: A gun held to the little pig's head_

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Ranma awoke pretty early that Wednsday. He grumbled a bit, something about school and a bomb, but he reluctantly sat up, clearing his eyes and adjusting to the light. He never really like the morning. It usually meant school, and that was something he could do without. It always meant breakfast, which used to be a daily challenge with Akane always finding something to fight with him about. But that aspect of the morning was gone, thankfully. It made waking up that much more pleasant. But still..... there was just something about trudging around that early that bugged him.

He looked over to Jason, still sleeping soundly. _Thank God he doesn't snore. Man, I envy that guy so much! I mean, he doesn't go to school, he plays music, which he seems to enjoy a lot, for a living.... What more could you ask for?_ He thought about it for a moment. _Well..... He was all alone for a while, he says. I guess that can't be too pleasant, but still..... his life hasn't been all that hard, has it?_ He abandoned his train of thought. Too much strain in the morning hurt his brain. He slid open the door, and made his way downstairs.

He was greeted by the usual sight. Kasumi was getting breakfast ready, Genma and Soun had just broken out the playing board, and Nabiki and Akane had yet to arise. But another person was there, someone who usually wasn't, but wasn't all too unfamiliar anyways. Ryoga was sitting at the table, silent as ever._ I forgot that he had showed up yesterday, but why's he in human form? Shouldn't he be in bed with Akane, as P-chan?_ The thought made him shiver. _Not that I want him there, but that's where he is._ He sat down next to his brooding friend.

"Yo, Ryoga, what's up?"

"Huh? Oh, good morning, Ranma. I was just thinking....."

"Jeez, man, don't need to be so solemn. Two zombies are enough for this house."

"Two zombies....?"

Ranma jerked a thumb over to the fathers. "Them, Ryoga."

"Oh, right." He smiled a little, and Ranma was glad to see he wasn't in a complete state of depression.

"So, uh, what were you thinking about?"

"Ah....... Akane."

"Don't you always, huh bud?"

Ryoga shook his head. "I know I should tell her, I know I should just end it now, but...... to tell someone something like that..... it's hard, Ranma."

"Yeah, yeah, I know how you feel. But ya know...... Akane and I..... we're practically a couple now...."

"So I heard." Ryoga turned to his friend. "What about it?"

"You're mad, aren't 'cha?"

"Yes, a bit."

Ranma frowned. "Don't lie to yourself, or to me. I can see right through you. You're pissed, and that's all right."

"I just wish...... there was something I could do..... something to make her change her mind....."

"You know..... I'm not the one to talk to. If you really want a chance...... you just have to go to Akane.... and tell her everything."

"But.... I can't......"

Ranma crossed his arms. "I give up. I told you all I can. You just gotta suck it up, and take it like a man." He leaned in a bit. "You know, Ryoga..... I ain't mad that you still are set on Akane. You know why?"

"No."

"Because you never told her how you feel. You never told her about P-chan. I told her everything. And that's what separates you and me. That's what really decided it. I'm sorry to say it, but you waited too long."

Ryoga started poking the floor, creating finger-sized holes all over the place. "Yeah......"

"Don't feel to bad, Ryoga, just tell her...... Tonight, we'll arrange it all....... I'll get us alone, just us three, and you'll do it. I'll help ya."

"Really, Ranma."

"Really." He looked over to the stairs. "Well, if it isn't the sleeping beauties."

Ryoga turned and saw Nabiki and Akane desending from the second story. Their hair was in two clumps, but they looked beautiful, all the same. _Oh man, I can't tell her. I can't..... No. I gotta. Tonight, just like Ranma said, I'll do it. I'll do it!_

"H-Hello, Akane."

"Oh, morning Ryoga. What brings you here?"

"I was..... just passing through...."

Akane gave him a little smile. "Somehow, I seriously doubt this was your destination."

Nabiki tossed her hair around, and took her place. "Yeah. Where do you really wanna be? Kyoto? Fuji? Okinawa?"

Ryoga scratched his head. "Ya know.... I don't really have anywhere specific I wanna go. I was just.... wandering."

A voice, new to Ryoga, echoed from above. "Well that's not very wise of you. No wonder you get lost all the time."

Ryoga leapt up, and faced the stranger. _It's that guy! The one from yesterday!_ "You..... what are you doing here!?"

"Ryoga!" Akane chastised him loudly. "He is our guest, just like you! We took him in a few days ago. His name's Jason Vargas. Jason, this is...."

"Ryoga Hibiki. I've heard." He stepped in, and held his gaze at eye-level with Ryoga. "You've got some nerve, attacking random strangers off the street."

Ryoga wiped his nose. "You wanna make something of it?"

"Yo, Ryoga, cool it. He's a cool guy, man."

"Oh really?"

Ranma sighed, letting Ryoga to his stare-down. Jason turned away, and sat down next to Nabiki. She eyed him suspiciously, but turned away after a bit. Ryoga snorted, then sat back down beside Akane.

"So, Akane..... I hear that you and Ranma are..... well......"

Akane bit her lip. _Oh, no. I hope he doesn't feel too hurt. Ranma said he had a crush on me, but.... I don't think he'll be as easy to cheer up as Ukyo. He's got a history of depression. _She thought back to the time he almost destroyed Ranma, using the Lion's Roar ki blast repeatedly.

"Ryoga......."

Ryoga shook his head. "No, no, don't worry about me. I..... I wanna talk to you, later. Just me, you, and Ranma. In private. Please?"

She looked into his begging eyes. "How could I refuse?"

Ryoga smile, and Ranma lifted his tea cup to hide his own grin. _The little coot. He's not gonna have so much trouble with this after all._

Jason and Nabiki, meanwhile, were quietly talking, holding their own private little conversation.

"Yes, Nabiki?"

"What do you mean, yes? You've got some nerve, showing me up like that."

"To show somebody up, there needs to be witnesses. Tell me, just who saw our little.... exchange?"

"Hmph. All right, Jason, you've got some gut. But how long can you last?"

"Long enough."

"I seriously doubt it." She pulled a little slip of paper out of her shirt.

"And just where were you hiding that?"

Nabiki sneered. "In my own, special hiding place. But that's beside the point." She fingered the paper. "Have you ever heard of blackmail?"

"Ha. What're you gonna do, close the shop?"

"I very well could."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

He squinted at her. She showed no break in her composure, but Jason could sense otherwise. _She's bluffing. But..... I'll play along. Wonder what she's got in mind...._

"Okay, then. Name you're terms."

Nabiki placed her finger on his nose. "I want you -" She pointed to herself, " - to take me -" she turned the finger to the door, " - out. Your treat."

"Is that all?"

Nabiki's grin grew wider. "That was all, but since you insisted...... I want you to take me someplace...... Romantic."

Jason almost repeated his previous statement, but thought better of it. "Fine. I take you out to dinner, take you somewhere special, and in return..."

"Are you joking? Honey, you don't get anything except my affection." She placed the paper back where it came from. "And of course, you keep your precious store."

"I would say thank you, but....."

"Why not? It is good manners, after all."

"Heh. You keep your manners, and I'll keep my promise. Deal?"

"Technically, we never promised anything......"

"Oh, quit BS'n me. Deal?"

She didn't answer, only ran her nailed finger around his ear, and tugged at the collar of his shirt a bit. Then, she finished her meal quickly, and left to go get ready for school. No one had noticed the little exchange, and the other two school kids departed for school soon after. Jason quietly ate, contemplating. _Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky. I don't doubt her intellegence. Her motives, however..... are a bit....... questionable._ He allowed himself a quick grin. _Not that I don't mind her motives. They are a bit.... suggestive, but what can a little date hurt?_ He finished his meal as well, leaving Ryoga to watch him depart.

_Hm. Jason, huh? I don't like him. He makes my skin crawl. I'll have to talk with him as well. Just what purpose does he have, staying here?_

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Jason lounged on the counter, furiously strumming a guitar he had found while rummaging around the shop. He had left soon after breakfast, and wanted to get his shop ready for business as soon as possible. Fortunately for him, the old man that previously owned it was a very neat man. The merchandise lists were carefully sorted into file cabinets, and past transactions were all kept on record. Shipment purchases gave Jason a nice picture of who dealt what at what prices, and there were even a few charts that showed the most popular sales. _Man, this guy had it organized. He knew what was going on. It'll be hard following this guy's dedication. But I sure as hell will try._

He began by inspecting some of the instruments. Many were in mint condition, but Jason spotted a few that had either missing or bent pieces. Luckily, the store had its own workshop in the back, complete with power tools, workbenches, and schematics. All Jason would have to do is order the parts, and he could install them himself. He was quite pleased, with the place, and tried something to occupy himself with some advertising. He propped open the door, whipped out a 12-string acoustic guitar, laid himself onto the counter, and began playing. He heard people stop and listen, as he struck up a fairly fast blues solo. He relaxed, as he let his hands and ears play the music, while his mind nearly went on auto-pilot.

After a few minutes, he heard someone step it. He stopped playing, and laid the guitar onto the case that was on the floor. He swiveled around to look at his first customer, and his hopes fell when he saw Ryoga, shutting the glass door behind him. He leaned up against the door frame, and eyed Jason with a grin.

"You play quite the song, Jason."

"I'm glad you approve."

"Nah, I don't know anything about music. It just sounded good. But I'm not here to discuss technique with you."

"Should I be shaking in my boots?"

"No, you should be listening."

"Anytime pal."

Ryoga tapped his foot, and gathered himself for the questions. "What business, exactly, do you have at the Tendo dojo?"

"My own."

"And that would be..?"

"A friendly one. They took me in when they found me on the street. I've just recently moved to Nerima, but with nowhere to stay, I was searching for an inn in an unknown town. I was weary from a concert I had given, when I collapsed in front of their house. They took kindly on me, and I've been with them since last Saturday."

"Hmm. Interesting. You seem to be on quite good terms with Ranma."

"Yeah, we're buddies. In fact..... You could say that I'm the one to hook Ranma and Akane up."

Ryoga rushed up, and met him with an angry stare. "Don't lie. They've had feelings for each other since I met the Tendos. Don't play with me...."

"I'm not. I did get them together. Ranma had hurt Akane's feelings, from some incident after school, if I recall. She was crying in her room. I was the one that ushered Ranma into Akane's room, during her time of need. Logical conclusions can be drawn as to what happened next..."

Ryoga's eyes grew wide. "Don't tell me...... that they.... they've......"

"No. Don't get any ideas. They're relationship is still young. But Ranma finally expressed his feelings to Akane, and she accepted with arms wide open."

"So..... that's what Ranma meant. He was able to tell her before I was." He clenched his fists. A vein popped out from his neck. "And this was your doing?"

"So what if it was....?"

Ryoga's eyes were glowing red with his rage. "You don't understand.... what Akane was to me..... I will not let her go..... And I will punish those people that stand in my path."

Jason reached his right hand under his jacket, and gripped his pistol. "Don't get any ideas. Take whatever grudge you have to the dojo. Not here. Not in my store."

Ryoga smiled. It was predatory, evil. "And what if I don't? Are you threatening me with that pea shooter of yours?"

He pulled it out, and held if level with Ryoga's eye. "I can still do damage." He lowered his voice. "And Akane wouldn't approve."

That was the last straw for Ryoga. With a yell, he spun on his heal, and smacked open the door. With a snarl, he called to Jason as he walked away.

"You know nothing! Not of me, and not of Akane! You're meddling in my affairs will be cut short, Jason!"

Jason watched him wander off down the street. _Hmph. I wonder if he can even find his way home....._

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School ended, with nothing noteworthy happening. Ranma and Akane were generally more accepted as a couple, but a few people still had their doubts. Kuno, as always, never gave up, but that was routine for the two. They dispensed of him, tossing him into the pool, and walked away briskly. Actually, Akane was the one who wanted to get home soon. Kasumi had planned her first cooking lesson for this afternoon. Akane was to cook the rice for the meal. At first, Akane was reluctant to start with something so basic, but Kasumi insisted.

"To be a good cook, you need to have patience. Even an experienced person such as myself can always use a good refresher in the basics. We'll start from the very bottom. I want you to try and forget everything you ever learned, because what I'm going to show you is everything you'll need to know. Okay, Akane?"

Akane had agreed, and so she hurried home, Ranma in tow, to start her first lesson.

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Jason had locked up for the evening. He wanted to stay longer, as he had noticed that more customers were stopping by later on in the day, but he remembered his date with Nabiki, and with a grin, he wondered why she acted the way she did. _Why did she go through that whole act with the blackmail thing, just to get me to ask her out? I mean, she could've just asked.......... No. She's not like that. She never likes to speak her mind directly. I don't understand why, but she likes to do things her way. She like to stay in control. I guess if she had actually asked for one, it would seem like a move on her part, and not mine. She doesn't want to admit that she want to go out. But that's okay. It's one reason why I'm so attracted to her, I suppose._ He walked down the street, hands in his pockets. He felt the holstered pistol rubbing against his side. _What do I tell her about that? It's not like it can kill anybody.... not with these loaded in._ He thought back to his case, which held several sharp-edged bolts. They could kill a person if an artery was struck. But those could not be loaded into a clip, like the BB's could. You had to manually insert each bolt. _That's okay. It's not like I really need those. But..... you can never be too prepared. Sides, I never pull those out. I only have ever had to use BB's. I don't think she'll mind. But still......._ He realized that there was a bad history of keeping secrets with the Tendos and the Saotomes. _I'll tell her, tonight._

He arrived home, and saw that Ranma and Ryoga were sparring in the yard. He and Ryoga locked eyes for a moment, but Jason continued on, and Ryoga kept up his excersise with Ranma. Jason looked over at Soun and Genma, who were drinking some _sake_ and watching a concert on TV. _I wonder if Nabiki told anyone yet._ He spotted a crack in the door, and saw that Akane was helping Kasumi in the kitchen. _Huh. I wonder what Akane's doing in there. Ranma told me she was dangerous with herbs and spices. I guess I should be grateful we're not eating here tonight._ He made his way up the stairs, and looked over at Nabiki's room. It was closed, and a small 'Do Not Disturb' Post-It was stuck to the door. _Do Not Disturb? She must be getting ready. I hope she isn't planning anything too fancy.... Cause I don't have any thing like that. It's not me._ He entered his room, and sat down in front of his case. He opened it, and pulled open one of the few sliding compartments. He found his only dress shirt, a brown silk button-down with a black spiderweb design runnning down from the right shoulder and flaring out at the bottom of the left torso. _Still pretty casual, but with a black pair of slacks and my jacket, it'll look fine. Besides..._ He grinned to himself _... I don't think Nabiki would like it if I dressed uncomfortably. And real dress stuff is SO uncomfortable...._ He slipped on his slacks, took off the holster, and donned his shirt. _Not too bad.... _He glanced down at the gun. _Why not?_ He strapped on the leather piece, arranging it so that rested on his left breast. _Nabiki won't see it there, and if she hugs me or gets close, she won't feel it._ He covered it with the heavy jacket, and took a peek at himself in the mirror. _Not too bad, not too bad. I wonder what she's wearing. Something revealing, for sure. That girl has no shame._

He left the room, and walked back over to Nabiki's room. _I can hear her moving around. She must not be ready yet._ He knocked anyways, and she responded kind.

"Can't you read the sign?"

"No."

"Ha. You're a funny guy."

"Nope."

"Oh, shut up."

"No."

She opened the door, and the sight made Jason step back, just a bit. Nabiki's dress was stunning. It was an incredible crimson red, V-cut at the chest, and cut high on the legs. It had only one long sleeve, on the right side, and her right hand was gloved similarly. All in all, simple, but very effective. _Crap. She must have known. She knew I would go casual, and she went pretty high fashion in response. Damn, she's gorgeous. Why did she have to dress like that?_

"So, with you're meager budget, where do you plan on going?"

Now that, Jason had covered. He had talked with one of his employers earlier, and the manager had gladly secured a spot for them in a very nice club. Nabiki would fit right in. In fact, Jason would be the one sticking out, as most of the other patrons wore tuxedoes. But he didn't care. High culture didn't concern him now. The girl standing next to him did.

"Oh, just some dingy little bar off the corner of the store's street. You'll hate it."

"Try me."

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Akane had watched Kasumi carefully, as she prepared the first batch of rice as a demonstration. Akane was to observe, and see exactly Kasumi did that made her so good. Kasumi was methodical, presice, and un-erring, but she moved so quickly that Akane sometimes lost her hands in a blur. In no time at all, Kasumi was holding out a steaming bowl of rice. Akane hung her head. _I barley caught any of that. This is gonna be harder than I thought...._

"All right, Akane, your turn."

Akane calmed her nerves, and remembered the steps Kasumi took to prepare her rice. _First, pour two cups of rice into the pot. _She was about to reach in the jar and scoop out the uncooked rice, when Kasumi touched her atop her head. Akane turned, to see Kasumi smiling, but shaking her finger.

"Huh? But..."

"One key to cooking is to always measure out your ingredients first. That way, you don't have to measure during the actual cooking process. You have to lay everything out first, and then begin cooking. Chop everything first, measure anything first, and beat together anything first before letting anything touch the stove."

_Oh, I see. Yes, that makes sense._ And as Akane did this, Kasumi watched with pride. _Oh, look, that already makes her ten times better....._

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Ranma and Ryoga moved into the dojo when it got too cold to spar outside anymore. Ryoga really had some frustration and nervousness to work off, and he really gave Ranma a run for his money. They were both panting hard when Ranma called a time-out.

"Whoa, Ryoga, take it easy. Ya don't wanna faint before you ever get to talk to Akane."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just...... I'm just so nervous about it. Finally telling her I'm P-chan, and all......"

"Look, don't worry about it. She takes it how she takes it. You know it only gets worse if you put it off longer, and it would be lying to her if you never told her at all. It's a lose-lose thing here. Just tell her now, and get it over with."

"Right. Ranma.......... Thanks for everything. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Sure I do. I went through the same thing. Only......... she was available when I talked to her. You, on the other hand............. I just wish......."

"No, Ranma. I.......... I can get over her. I'm not worried about you two now. That's already done and done. I already know that my chances with Akane have disappeared. But..... I just don't want her to be sick with me when she finds out that I'm P-chan, the one who's........... who's been sleeping in her bed. Will she call me a pervert? Or worse?"

"Of course she will. But she's called me a pervert for the past two years, and look where we are now. She'll forgive you, Ryoga. It'll take time though. Time and patience."

"Ha. Too true." He looked over at the bucket of water. "There it is, Ranma. The key to it all. I'm gonna show her, finally, who I really am." He walked over to the bucket, and hefted it up. "The bane of my existence, cold water." He held it over his head, and pretended to pour it ceremoniously. "I will finally be free of this guilt!"

Ranma chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, hold your horses. Not yet, or else we're gonna have to change ya back before Akane gets here. Just where is she, anyways?"

"Oh, boys! I have something for you to try."

Ranma cocked an eyebrow. "Something to try...?"

Akane walked into the dojo, and held out her steaming bowl of rice, with two spoons sticking out the sides.

Ranma and Ryoga threw up their hands in horror.

"A-Akane? Dear? Please don't tell me you cooked that..."

"Oh, shut up! Kasumi helped me, the whole way! I'm sure it'll be good, it's just rice!"

"Yeah. It's real easy to say when - "

_Dink. Splash. Bwee?_

Ranma heard these noises, and his blood froze. _No.... don't tell me.... did Ryoga.... drop the bucket?_

He in fact had. The bucket was now rolling lazily around, empty save for a few drops. A pile of yellow and black clothes was lying wet on the ground where Ryoga had stood. And in front of the pile, sitting damp, wide-eyed, was P-chan.

"Oh, no, Ryoga, you had ta drop it now! Jeez...."

Akane dropped the bowl, and it crashed onto the floor loudly. The rice spilled everywhere. _Ryoga......... P-chan......... Water.......... Jusenkyo?_

"Ryoga...... you too?"

P-chan nodded.

"That means......... oh, Ryoga........ why...........?" And then Akane fell to the floor, unconsious.

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Nabiki marveled at the club's interior, which contrasted sharply with it's dark outside. The sign _Green Flair_ was blinking steadily in neon brightness, indicating a shabby place. _Crap. Jason was right. Why did he bring me to a dinky little...._ When they stepped inside, it took her breath away. Warmly lit booths extended on to the left and right of the entrance. A few ushers waited around, welcoming them, and showing them around. The carpeted middle path led down a few steps to a circular lounge, with tables scattered around the perimiter. A large dance floor was lit up brightly, and a few spotlights helped to make it stand our from the shadowed tables. They made their way to their booth, which was not as dark as the lounge tables, but still gave off a secretive, private aura. They had a good view of the dance area, and of the performing band on stage.

"Wow. For a dinky little bar, it's got style."

"I knew you would approve."

Nabiki took a seat, and Jason followed suit. The waiter there took their orders of a wine cooler and a root beer. They were brought out quickly. Jason eyed Nabiki's drink.

"You drink those often?"

"Oh, please, there's barely alchohol in these kind anyways. It's the flavor that counts."

Jason shook his head, and drained half his mug quickly. He let out a long sigh, as the sting from the carbonation burned down his throat.

"Impressive. Do you drink?"

Jason looked at his mug. "I can. When you go on the road, even for just two years, with the crowd I had, the places I saw.... you learn things."

"Oh, c'mon." She took a sip. "A little drink here, a little drink there, it can't hurt."

"But for us.... it wasn't like that. We ordered bottles by the dozen. Scotch, bourbon, whiskey, gin and tonic....... you name it, I've had it."

"Wow. Quite a lot."

"Like I said, it was the crowd. The experience."

Nabiki looked at him thoughtfully. "Tell me, which was your favorite."

"What?"

"Which drink did you like best? C'mon, it's not like they tasted bad, or else you wouldn't have drank."

"...... Whiskey."

"Oooh, the man's drink."

"Don't take it lightly."

"Oh, you're too uptight. You need to relax. That's what tonight is for."

Jason looked up at her. She was mindlessly twirling her glass, looking out to the dance floor. The band was playing a nice Latin tune, slow and smooth, but Nabiki didn't make a move. _Hm. She wants to dance, but...._

"Not this song?"

Nabiki shook her head. "No. Not this one."

Jason took another gulp of his root beer, almost completely finishing it, then scooted over closer to Nabiki. She seemed to pay no mind. _I wonder what kinda song she's waiting for. _He looked up at the band. _They look pretty good. Maybe they know a few good ones...._ He racked his braind for ideas. _C'mon, what kinda song would a person like Nabiki want? A serious tune, but not mushy. Sad. She'll want a sad song. _It made him feel a bit down himself. _Why does she want a sad song? It's our night out, she should want to kick back, and enjoy, like she's been telling me to._

"You're such a hypocrite."

Nabiki eyed him. _I finally got her attention._ "What?"

"Here you are, telling me to relax, to enjoy, and here you are just staring aimlessly at the floor. You're looking for a song, but you won't tell me which."

"Would telling you matter?"

Jason frowned a bit at her tone. "Nabiki........ what's wrong?"

She sighed, and put her glass down. "Have you ever had that feeling, where you're not quite sure what to do?"

"What sort of situation?"

"Life, Jason, the whole kauhna. Ever since Mom died............ Life's been sorta lonely. I had my sisters, I had my dad, and that was good, for a while. But I started to miss the old days. You know, I had lots friends, lots of people to talk to, before Mom died. After that........"

"You just didn't feel like being a friendly person anymore."

"That's it exactly. What with Kasumi becoming the designated housewoman, and Akane still young with school, Dad sorta broke down. He lost all his students, and it's been a struggle ever since."

"You felt...... obliged to make money for the family."

"Before I knew it...... money became second-hand to me. I didn't have to think about it, I just took advantage of every opportunity I got."

Jason placed one elbow onto the table, and rested his head on his hand, facing Nabiki. "Do you feel regretful about it all?"

"No. I don't. I feel very proud that I helped out the family like I did. I just.......... I just miss my mother. If she hadn't died......... "

"Then life would have been totally different for you. I understand."

Nabiki glared at him. "No, you don't. You don't know what it's like. We had it hard, Jason, we had it real rough. I'm not complaing for me, but for all of us. Even Akane, before Ranma came, had to deal with so much pressure from the guys at school. She hated it, and every day she told us that she hated it. Kasumi stays at home, and rarely gets out. She does everything in thr house, cooking and cleaning and whatever else needed to be done. She doesn't have many people to talk to, either. And Father..... he loved Mom so much......... You have no idea what we've been through."

Nabiki turned away, and listened to the band again. _That jerk. Trying to say that he understand. That he can sympathize. Look at his life, he........._ Nabiki suddenly realized that she knew nothing about his life. The one time she had asked, he clammed up like a shell. _Maybe he'll tell me here, now._ She turned to him, but he was nowhere to be found. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jason making his way over to the band. _What's he think he's doing?_ He climbed up on stage, and whispered something to one of the band members. Then, he hopped off, and made his way back over to Nabiki. Instead of taking his seat, he grabbed her hand, and pulled over to the dance stage.

"Hey! What are you doing!?"

"You wanted to dance, right?"

"I never said anything about..."

"I saw it in your eyes. You were staring down here like you were starved."

"And you presume to pull me down without asking me what sort of song I want?"

"You wanted a slow, waltzy type tune."

"Nice guess."

"I picked something completely different."

"Oh, genius. That wins the Noble Prize for sure."

"Funny." The band began yelling out a chorus, and with the bass player starting it off, a fast-paced Latin beat was formed.

"I'll never go back to Georgia, I'll never go back to Georgia....."

"And just what the heck is this?"

"One of my favorites. C'mon, dance with me."

"You must be joking."

"Now that's the Nabiki I know. You coming or not?"

She sighed, but reluctantly stepped out with Jason onto the floor. Cheers quickly followed, as many other couples joined them. There was no set of steps anyone followed. Each group took up a different style. Jason and Nabiki started a twirling, twisting rythym that matched the song's energy. The rest of the instruments joined in, and the volume increased dramatically. Jason and Nabiki clasped hands, and spun in unison as a trumpet blasted out the beginnings of a high-pitched solo. The two teens stretched their arms out, then pulled each other close, until their faces nearly touched, and then spread back out again. They repeated this move for a while, letting their heads level out from the spinning, and enjoying the company. Both Jason and Nabiki had loosened up greatly, and Nabiki was even smiling. Jason was laughing loudly, reveling in the tune, and Nabiki's company. As the beat changed to a snappy swing beat, they changed into a waltz position, but instead of waltzing, they swayed around, forward and backwards, side to side. Several pairs followed suit, confused at the sudden change in the song. It change back soon after, and Jason and Nabiki went back to the whirling dervish dance they had been performing before. The song ended on a high, dramatic finish, which lasted a minute at least. The whole club roared in applause, as the upbeat song was the best all evening. Jason and Nabiki were breathing heavily, and walked over to their table. Two more drinks, the same as before, were ordered, and the teens rested a bit to catch their breath.

When Nabiki had steadied her breathing, she shifted over to Jason's side, and held his hand. "You know, you dance pretty well, for someone who doesn't know how to dance."

"Was it that obvious?"

"No. You actually did pretty well, but you don't dance much, do you?"

"Are you kidding?" He chuckled. "I don't dance EVER."

"Then why the heck did you insist on picking that song of all songs?"

"I wanted.......... I wanted to cheer you up. It is, after all, your night out."

"OUR night out."

He grinned. "Heh. I guess."

"I guess we really shouldn't discuss such things here."

"I agree." The drinks had arrived, and they clinked their glasses together in a toast. "To something."

"How about us?"

"Coming from me? It would of sounded..... Romantic, or something."

"Yeah. We wouldn't want that, now would we?"

"From me? Trust me, I don't do romantics."

"Really? Amuse me, then."

"You're a funny girl."

"I get it from you."

"Maybe."

They joked around for a few more minutes, enjoying the company, the relaxed atmosphere. Jason was quite pleased that Nabiki had gotten rid of her solemn mood. _Tonight's not the night for that. Maybe some other time. Maybe later. _

After about half an hour, a small group of men made their way up the steps, and approached the couple briskly. Jason had spotted them a while back, eyeing them, but he dissmissed them easily, thinking that they were soley attracted to Nabiki. He was partially right.

"Hey, man, nice girl you got there." The front man, obviously the ringleader of the three, spoke up in a deep, gruff voice.

"She isn't for sale."

"Ha. I wasn't planning on paying."

"Then I suggest you take yourselves elsewhere."

"Oooh, big threat comin' from a little man. Listen, punk, I don't think you quite realize what a prize ya got there. I want her."

"I don't think she'd go with you anyways."

The aggressor leaned over and tried to place his hand under Nabiki's chin, but she moved away. "Foxy. I'd make her come with us."

Jason hopped up on to the table, drew his pistol, dropped down on one knee, and aimed the gun squarely at the man's head, knocking over his mug on the way up. The men stumbled back in surprise, and the two henchmen left without much resistance. The remaining thug stood stock still, shaking in his boots.

"Get the hell out of my face. My finger's starting to itch." Jason watched as the man scurried away, tripping over himself repeatedly. He sighed, and reholstered the pistol. He got down from the table, and stood up in front of Nabiki. Her eyes had turned very emotionless, and she was staring up at his face. It was a little unnerving to see her sudden change of mood. Jason held out his arm, and said, "Let's go."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They walked silently, arm in arm, away from the club. For about ten minutes, neither one of them said anything, as Jason led them to the city outskirts. They arrived at a park on the edge of town, high up on a hill overlooking the city. Jason and Nabiki stood, still not saying anything. Jason wanted to explain why he had the pistol, and was finally about to speak up, when Nabiki reached into his jaket and pulled out the gun for herself. She pointed it at the ground and fired. She inspected it carefully.

"BB's?"

"So what?"

"That was quite an act you played, Jason. For a second there, I almost wanted to think you were serious. BB's?"

He shrugged. "Well, it does the same job as real bullets. I protect myself with it. It's not like I wanna really hurt somebody."

"That was a bit of a surprise, coming from you. Why didn't you tell me you had a pistol?"

"I didn't think it was that big a deal."

"Well it's not, seeing as how they're just BB's." She placed the gun back into his jacket, but didn't pull her hand away. Instead, she wrapped it around his side, and cuddled close to him. Jason noticed that a slight breeze was picking up. He removed his jacket, and placed it over Nabiki's shoulders. She didn't say anything, only looked out to the city, who's lights were bright and lovely.

"You know........ I can come here and see the city anytime I want. I do see it frequently, in fact."

"Then why aren't you complaining about it."

"Because.......... it's different, here, with you. Somehow, it seems more........"

"Special?"

She looked over at him. His eyes were staring out at the expanse of Nerima. Although not a large city, there was a simple beauty about it that pleased the eye. Nabiki saw this in his eyes, his stare, his expression. _He really like it here. I'm glad._ She squeezed him a little bit harder. _I'm really, really happy._

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AN: Long chapter. Well, that took a while. I got stuck a few times, what with school and more school taking up all my free time. But it was a good chapter. Now, for the past few chapters, Jason has been the focus of my story. This is really the last chapter for that. In fact, I have decided to make this story into two separate 'books'. It will be on the same story, but next chapter will be the end of this particular book.

This chapter, if you were watching close, contained two songs. Double Whammie!!! The first, when Jason was strumming in his shop, was not actually a song. Supposedly, it was a 12-string acoustic guitar solo by Stevie Ray Vaugh, and recorded for MTV. Just search '12-String Guitar Solo' on Kazaa, and you should find it. If not, tweak the wording a bit. I assure you, its' there.

The second is the song Jason requests that the band play. It's a song called 'Manteca', and the best version is a Miles Davis live performance. It's a great song.


	7. When you Run off into the Sunset, Don't ...

Disclaimer: If Ranma were a pig and Copyrights were a blanket........... Then Takahashi would have one hot dog for a whole lot of buns (Bad joke, I know)

_Chapter Seven: When you Run off into the Sunset, Don't Forget to Write!_

Forenote: In the famous and all-encompassing words of John Madden: Boom! Here it is, the last installment in the 'And Things Go On' mini-story. Don't worry, it ain't the last chapter of 'Music'.

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Akane woke from her first unpeaceful sleep in a while. She opened her eyes to the ceiling, a single bead of sweat rolling down from her forehead. _What's wrong with me? Why am I so stressed out? I can't remember my dream......_ She forgot about the whole thing quickly, and got up to go down to breakfast. It was Friday, and she wanted her final day of the week to end on a good note. She smelled the soft sent of breakfast, and wondered why nobody had bothered to wake her up. She plodded along, opening her door and making her way down stairs. She yawned loudly, and she stepped into the dining room.

Everyone was seated there as usual, save for Jason, who always was able to sleep in late. She glanced at his spot, which was filled by someone else, and was horrified when she saw who it was. _That's why........... that was my bad dream! It was about Ryoga........_ Ryoga, along with the rest of the familiy, had looked up at her expectantly, waiting for her response to the visitor. She remembered being shocked at the discovery of Ryoga's alter ego, her pet, P-chan. _He didn't tell me....... why didn't he tell me?_

"Why, Ryoga.......... why?"

"Akane....." He stood up, slowly, and took a few steps toward her. "I meant to. So many times I was going to, but....."

"NO EXCUSES! What, when where you gonna tell me? HUH!? When we were all old and decrepit and I wasn't pleasing enough to sleep with anymore? You...... YOU PIG!!"

"Akane..... I'm sorry. I don't deserve......."

"No! Shut up! Get out of my house!" At this, Soun, Ranma and Kasumi protested.

"But Akane, please, he has no where else to go. Please, my daughter..."

"Don't do this, Akane. He's our buddy. We can get over this."

"Oh, Akane. Are you sure?"

She nodded her head. "Yes." They wanted to continue arguing for Ryoga's sake, but he silenced them with a wave of his hand.

"No. I've overstayed my friendship. It's all right. It was all my fault. I don't deserve........... I don't deserve your concern." He made his way to the door, hefting his pack onto his back on the way there. He slid open the front door, and halted as he was about to leave. "Akane...... can you ever forgive me?" She only hugged herself, willing her conciense not to interfere. He took her silence a a negative, and left without another word. Ranma watched, as his tormented friend passed the outer wall of the dojo, and maybe leaving their lives forever.

"Ryoga! Don't ever forget, I still owe you a battle!" But even the mention of their battle didn't faze him, and he turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a gloomy walk to school for Ranma and Akane. Ranma just didn't know what to say to the blue-haired girl. She didn't refuse his company, or his arm, but she wouldn't speak a word, or answer his questions about anything. _She must be feeling guilty about the whole Ryoga thing._ "Akane, you shouldn't mope about what happened this morning. We'll see him again. There'll be another time, later on, and you'll get a chance to talk to him. I know it. Why, I bet that........."

"Ranma! You no run this time!"

_Oh, no. Not this. Not now._ But he turned around as Shampoo landed nearby, bonbouri in hand. "What now, Shampoo?"

"Ranma Shampoo's husband! I prove now!" She launched an attack at Akane, who was all but unaware of the attack. Ranma stepped in and threw a deflecting kick, changing the mallet's course. Shampoo retreated a few steps. _Why is Ranma defending the Pervert-girl? She doesn't mean anything to him._ "Why, Ranma, why you help Akane?" She jumped high, and hammered downwards hard. Ranma grabbed Akane by the waist and pulled her away. Akane still was unreactive. "Why, Ranma?"

"Isn't it enough just to ask you to leave in peace? I don't wanna see anyone hurt!"

"You not friends with Pervert-girl. She hit you. She yell at you. Why Ranma help her?"

"Because......."

"Because he loves me." Akane raised her head a bit, and locked her eyes with the purple-haired warrior.

"Lies!" Shampoo raised her weapons to stike again.

"It's true, Shampoo! Look!" And with that, Ranma leaned over and kissed Akane. He leaned forward a bit, and supported her from falling down with his hand on the small of her back. Akane's hands were simply clasped together in front of her, and she allowed Ranma to kiss her unbridled. Shampoo fell back as if she was struck by some unseen force. "It..... it an act. Farse!"

Ranma broke the kiss, and turned to Shampoo, his arm still wrapped around Akane. "No, Shampoo. I love her, and she loves me. We're still engaged, remember? As for you and me...... you may be bound by your Amazon law, but that's not something I am obliged to follow. I'm sorry Shampoo, but this is not your place. You belong in China. As for me......... I belong here, with Akane."

Shampoo couldn't believe it. _I was.......... chosen over that......... that mink!? Impossible. Something is terribly wrong here._ "No joke with Shampoo, Ranma! Speak the truth!"

"I didn't lie, in my actions or in my words. I chose Akane, Shampoo."

_Im..... Impossible. Unconceivable._ "I no accept! Never!" And she bounded off, defeated for now. In all reality, she had no intention of giving Ranma up, but she was confused on how to approach the situation. She would need to tread carefully, if she was to stay within the bounds of the Amazon law. _My great-grandmother will know what to do. I will consult her for a solution to this problem._

Ranma and Akane were still standing silently, watching the Amazon warrior leap away at a fast pace. Surprisingly, Akane was the first to speak.

"Will all of this never end, Ranma?"

"Don't worry, Akane. Sooner or later, it will end. I'll make it end." _I hope sooner rather than later, but fortune is fickle, as they say........._

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryoga didn't even bother to look where he was going. It made no sense, anyway. He could never reach his destination. Besides, now there was nowhere to go. He had lost his last safehold on Earth. _Now I am truly alone. Now I truly have nowhere to go. What in the name of all I have worked for do I do?_ He trudged along, dragging his feet wearily. _First...... I need to sit. I need to eat. I need to think._ He walked along, not looking at any signs, for they would only lose him. He simply marched on, until his nose picked up any scent of food. When he did, he looked up, and saw a restaurant. _Good. At least I can do something right._ He walked in like a dead man, and threw himself onto the nearest seat, which was at a bar. He dropped his pack, and dropped his head.

Minutes later, a sweet, female voice stirred his memory. "What can I get ya, hon?"

_Hon?_ "What's the cheapest thing on your menu?"

"Well, we have...... wait a minute. Ryoga?"

Ryoga looked up to see who had spoken his name. Ukyo was looking at him strangely across the _okonomiyaki_ bar. "Oh, Ukyo, it's you. Hi."

"Hello to you too, sugar. What seems to be the problem?"

"Problem?"

"Don't play games with me. You look like Ranma just threw you halfway across the world."

"No........ I'm done with Ranma. Akane, she........ rejected me. She found out about my Jusenkyo curse."

_Jusenkyo curse, huh?_ "Oh, my. Why is that so bad?"

And slowly, Ryoga explained about his entire situation with P-chan and his 'closeness' to Akane. When he had finished, she was eyeing him warily.

"Huh. Well, if it's any consolation, I woulda kicked you out myself. Don't take it personally. What you did......"

"It was sleazy, underhanded, and completely dishonorable. She had every right to do it. After all that we went through...... I lost her."

"I don't think you ever had her, bud. Ranma was her heart's target, and his was the same for her. It's the way of the world."

Ryoga was confused for a bit. "Wait a minute. You were Ranma's fianceé as well."

"Ugh, don't remind me."

"You took it that well? Him picking Akane and all, I mean...."

"At first, no. It struck me like a million lighting bolts. I was utterly devestated. But...." Ukyo smiled thoughtfully. "I can think of a few reasons to hang around."

"Why?"

"Because they're my friends, hon. Even if I can't have Ranma for myself, and believe me," she lost her smile momentarily, " I wish I could, he still loves me."

"But........ but Akane....."

"As a friend, hon, as his best friend. He still cares, and I still care. But just not on the same level as those two."

"And you're okay with that?"

Ukyo glared at him, and raised her voice. "Why shouldn't I be? Two of my only friends in the world are happy beyond words, and I'm supposed to mope around because I'm not as happy?"

"No, that's not....." Ryoga hung his head. "You're right. I'm wrong. I've always been wrong."

"Don't say that....."

"Don't try and comfort me. I know when I'm not wanted. I know when I need to leave. Akane asked me to leave, and I did. I lost out to Ranma. It's the way of the world. I just wish......... I just wish her opinion of me wouldn't be so low. But I guess I deserved it."

"Maybe you did, maybe you didn't. But beating yourself over it isn't gonna help one bit."

"I don't even deserve your kind words, Ukyo. Here you are, making your life, and you've actually accepted their relationship. Here I am, a perverted half-pig who just threw away the last aspect of his life. Tell me, who do you think deserves friends, Ukyo. Me or you?"

"That's a stupid question. Everyone deserves friends."

"You're wrong, Ukyo. I don't even deserve a roof over my head. I'm lucky enough to have what I have. A tent, some books, and enough money for a few meals. Far more than I deserve."

"That's barely enough to live."

"Maybe I don't..........."

She didn't even wait for him to finish. She slapped him hard across the cheek, and every customer looked up in surprise.

"Don't you ever say that again, Ryoga. Not while I'm around."

He seemed to ignore the scarlet pain on his face. "So I'm not wanted here either than. I understand. There is no place for me anymore, than. I guess........"

"Damn you, Ryoga, there's a place for everyone. In someone's heart, in someone's house........ there's room for everyone."

"But I'm not a man, remember? I'm.... a pig." And he got up, lifted his pack onto his shoulders once again, and was about to leave, when Ukyo called out to him.

"So, you're just gonna give up on redemption?"

"I don't deserve it...."

"Oh, cut the self-loathing crap, and come here." He obeyed, and took his seat again on the bar. "You can go as low as you want, anyone can. But everyone can come back up as well. You just have to have the right idea, the right mindframe. Now, if you could, would you try and get Akane's forgivness?"

"Yes."

"Well, then you have a chance. It'll take time, and work, but if you show her that you sincerely have changed, and you mean it, then you deserve the forgiveness."

"Would you forgive me?"

"It depends on whether or not you are truly sorry. Are you? Are you absolutely, beyond doubtfully sorry?"

"Yes."

"Then yes. I could and would forgive you."

Ryoga looked up at this statement. "Really?"

"Really."

"But still......... what am I supposed to do? I can't go back, and on my own, I wouldn't make it back to Nerima if it was the only stonghold on the planet left."

"Don't be silly. Who said you had to do this alone?"

"Who's gonna help me?"

"I am, hon."

"Why?"

"Because Akane's my friend, and so are you, and she deserves a friend like you."

"I'm no friend......"

"Not yet. But you already took the first step. The hardest one. Now, it'll just take time."

"And where do you suggest I stay?"

Ukyo tapped her lip thoughtfully. "Well, there is an extra room in my apartment....."

"No way, Ukyo. I couldn't impose....."

"Not for free, stupid. You'd work for rent."

"Work?"

She smiled sweetly. "I'm in need of some help in the restaurant. If you work for me, you can stay at my place. That way, you don't wander off to Okinawa or get stuck in some barren wasteland. Deal?"

Ryoga considered her offer. _It's nice, and I would accept,but......_ "Why?"

"Because that's what good people do for each other. They help each other, hon." She held out her hand. "Deal?"

_Good people....... helping each other......._ "Deal".

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shampoo was finishing cleaning the last of the tables, while Mousse was busy with the kitchen. He worried about her for a bit. _She never gets into these kind of moods..... I wonder what happened......... If it has anything to do with Saotome..............._

Cologne interupted his thoughts. "Hurry up, boy, and finish with those dishes." He resumed scrubbing, while Cologne made her way over to her great-granddaughter. "Why, Shampoo, whatever seems to be the matter?"

"Great-Grandmother........ I've been having trouble with Ranma Saotome."

"Well, if you are persistent, then....."

"That's not it. He........ he has chosen Akane."

"Ah, so the rumors are true then. Why does this present a problem?"

"I....... I don't know what to do........."

"Well, you know the law. Unless he is defeated, or she defeates you, or....."

"He formally announced his position, although it wasn't the exact words of the vow, but it was nearly the same."

"Really? What did he say?"

"... _In my actions, or in my words. I chose Akane, Shampoo."_

"Oh dear. He really said that?"

"Yes.........."

Cologne mulled over this new obstacle. _It almost follows the proper form for anouncing his position. But a council might disavow it if we tweak the wording a bit.... It all depends on Shampoo's want._ "Well, Shampoo? You know the choices. You can either accept the vow for what it is, and give up Ranma lawfully, or you can take it up with council, and ask for it to be disavowed."

"............ He said it. He loves her clearly. I don't know if I could lie to the council like that."

"It's your choice, Shampoo. If your heart wills it, you can accept the vow, and end your chase of Ranma Saotome."

"I would be shamed forever."

"Yes, you would."

"........... I need to think about it."

"Take your time."

Shampoo nodded, and made her way upstairs. Cologne walked, considerably slower, back around to where Mousse was working. She saw him working dilligently on the stove, cleaning it out for the next day of business. _Such a hard worker. He will not be disappointed when he learns that Shampoo is no longer bound to Ranma. Well, better now than later._ "Mousse."

He pulled his head out of the stove. "Yes?"

"Did you happen to hear our little conversation?"

He sighed. "Yes, I did. So Shampoo has decided to let Ranma go?"

"Yes. I suppose you are surprised, and excited."

Mousse did not say anything. Cologne tried to analyze his thoughts, but couldn't see his eyes through the thickness of his glasses.

"No."

"No?"

He shook his head. "Shampoo is an honorable, proud warrior. I understand that. She was the best, and everyone knew it. When she went to go and chase Ranma, I knew she would be successful. I just knew it. And here I am, a witness to her failure......... it makes me sad, Cologne."

"But now that Ranma is out of the way, you actually have a chance with Shampoo. I doubt you can defeat her, but......."

"Ranma wouldn't have stopped me either way. I would do anything for her."

"I realize that, but it was beyond your abilities to defeat my son-in....... to defeat Ranma. But now...."

"Shampoo is disgraced. She is defeated, and she is most of all sad. It hurts me to see her that way. But I can't do anything. I'm still second to her."

Cologne looked at the young boy. _He isn't so bad. A fine warrior, a bright young man, and handsome to boot. He's only a slave to the law, and that's that._ "You would still have to defeat Shampoo......"

"I can do more good being a friend." And he dusted himself off and went upstairs to talk to Shampoo. Cologne smiled as he watched him go up. _That was the right answer, Mousse. The right answer indeed._

Mousse knocked on Shampoo's door, but received no answer. "Shampoo?"

"What do you want, Mousse?"

"May I come in?"

"Yes."

He opened the door slowly, and saw Shampoo sitting on her bed, staring out the window. He took a seat on the floor, and followed her gaze. "What are you looking at?"

"At the city. At the streets, the people, and the life. It's really quite peaceful here."

"That it is."

"What do you want?"

"What's wrong Shampoo."

  
"Did my great-grandmother not tell you?"

"She did, but that's not it. Something's bugging you."

She sighed. "This has become my home, Mousse, but only because of Ranma. Now that he's out of the picture...... I don't know what to do."

"You miss China."

"I could care less about China. But the village..... I miss the village. However, they won't excpet my failure. I'll be the laughing stock of everyone."

"No you won't. I won't laugh at you."

"Then you're stupid."

"Why does that make me stupid?"

"A failure is supposed to be ridiculed."

"A failure is just another opportunity to succed."

"I can't succed anymore, Mousse. My chances with Ranma are zero, now."

"That's not what I meant."

"Enlighten me, then."

Mousse adjusted his glasses. "Why did you follow Ranma to Japan?"

"To kill him."

"Because the law dictated it, correct?"

"Because my honor dictated it."

"Okay, that's perfectly reasonable. Then, when girl-Ranma turned out to be a boy?"

"To marry him."

"Because of the law again?"

"At first, yes."

"And then you fell in love with him...."

She turned her head and yelled. "Don't speak so casually! You know nothing of love! You know nothing of the struggle........" She stopped when she realized the reason that he had come in the first place. She remembered all of his battles, all the things he did just for her. _Such a fool......_

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I don't know. Maybe this was all just a mistake....."

"Mousse.........."

"Yes, Shampoo?"

She looked at the young man sitting on her floor. He followed her from China to pursue a love that was by law and by her own wishes invalid. However, now that the law was clear, all that was left between them was her personal qualms. _He's nice, but........._ "You know the law."

"I do. And I don't follow it."

"Then you are a traitor."

"Tell me, Shampoo, why is it such a crime to try and love you without defeating you?"

"It's ancient law, it's been around for generations. We have no right to question it."

"But....... but I just can't sit around and let laws dictate my life......... I refuse to allow that to happen."

"Then you are a traitor."  


"You know, I've already been formally banished."

This news surprised Shampoo. "What? When?"

"The instant I left without permission, I broke the law. The only way I could go back is......."

"...... is as a slave."

"Yes. But I don't care. We're miles away from the village, so what holds to the laws have over me?"

"If we have no law, we have nothing."

"You can live life without such strictness, Shampoo. I want....... I want to live like Ranma does. He can do anything he wants in life, while I am forced to stay out of my hometown because I wanted to pursue love?"

Shampoo did not have an answer for this. _How can he toss aside the law so easily? He deserves his banishment. But............. he has a point._

"Why did you have to get kicked out for me, Mousse?"

"Becasue I wanted to be with you. Is that so bad?"

"No, but it conflicts with the law........."

"Tell me, Shampoo, is it bad because it's wrong to leave for love, or is it wrong becasue the law says so?"

"It's wrong because.............." She had no answer for this either.

"It doesn't matter. What are you going to do then?"

"Go back to the village. There's nothing here."

"There's the restaurant.........."

"You can keep it."

"But I'm not staying........"

"What?"

"If you leave, I leave."

"Don't be foolish, Mousse. Do you want to be a slave, a dog?"

"I want to be with you, Shampoo. Isn't that worth the suffering?"

Shampoo looked at him. _Such pretty eyes......... why does he have to be so stubborn?_

"Are you going to tell Ranma?"

"........Yes."

"That's good."

"Mousse?"

"Yes?"

"................. would you like to help me make a farewell gift?"

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Akane was sitting at her desk, trying not to weep. Since she got home, she had shut herself in her room. She couldn't sort out her feelings for Ryoga. _He's such a jerk, an asshole, really, for pulling what he did........... but he was still my friend. He looked very sorry. Should I give him a second chance?_

"Hey, you still there."

"Yes, Ranma, come in."

She heard the door creak, and a pair of strong, callous hands began massaging her shoulders. "Ya know, you shouldn't beat yourself up over this. Ryoga's a tough kid. He'll be back, one day. You can make up then."

"Who ever said I wanted to make up with him?"

"Your eyes do. Your heart does."

"Ranma........."

"Don't try and fool me. It's all right that you feel bad for him. What he did was wrong, but he truly was sorry. He never wanted it to go so far. He wanted to tell you, but every single time that he saw you, he couldn't even find his feet."

"He was that crazy over me?"

"Probably more so."

"It just........ it got me so angry that he tricked me like that."

"Akane........ it's in the past now. It's over. You know now, and he said what he needed to say. It's your decision now. Are you gonna forgive him?"

"Should I?"

"That's your choice."

"What would you do?"

"I can't say for sure. I'm not in your position. But I am here, next to you, telling you what I think you should do in the position you are in. I'm telling you for his sake, but also for yours. He's your friend as well as mine, and it hurts you as much as it hurts me to see him gone. Would you banish a friend so easily?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean........"

"That's okay. It was a mistake. It only lasts if you leave it like it is. Fix the mistake, Akane. Tell him how you feel."

Akane touched his hands, and he stopped rubbing. "I feel like beating his head into a wall, then giving him a great big hug."

"Uhhh....... how 'bout you find a middle?"

Akane reached up and pulled him close. She looked deep into his eyes for the strength, and the answer. "I needed that."

"No, you didn't. It just helped."

"Jerk."

"Is that your answer?"

Akane shook her head. "How does 'Can you be my friend again' sound?"

"Sounds like you need a lesson in speech."

"I hate you."

"Which is why you're gently stroking my cheek, huh?"

"Heh, think about my friends....."

"Ouch........"

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Ryoga approached the dojo warily. Carefully balancing the large tray of food the _okonomiyaki_ chef had whipped up, he had followed her closely, and here they were, ready to enter the one place he didn't want to return.

"I'm not sure about this......."

"But I am. Ryoga, hon, if you wanna ever get Akane to look at you again, you gotta steel that gut and walk in chin held high."

"Right........"

Ukyo patted him on the shoulder. "You'll do fine." They arrived at the door, and Ukyo called out to the house. "Hey, everybody, it's me, Ukyo!"

"Ucchan!" Ranma's voice could be heard calling across the house. She detected the rapid pit-pat of footsteps, then the sliding door opened to reveal a smiling Ranma.

"How ya been!?" Ukyo didn't respond, only patted Ryoga on the shoulder. Ranma noticed that his moody friend was carrying a covered tray of something. He didn't greet him, only took a glance into his eyes. "Are you ready?" Ryoga nodded. "Well, then, lemme just get someone real quick. Akane!" Akane appeared from behind Ranma, and when she noticed Ryoga, she hesitated. Ranma pushed her forward gently, and Ukyo nudged Ryoga with her elbow. Ryoga stepped forward, and looked up at Akane.

"........ The only thing I can say is that I'm sorry, Akane. What I did doesn't deserve forgivness."

"Your right, it doesn't. But you do." She picked up the plate, gave it to Ranma, and turned back to Ryoga. "If you can promise to be our friend, trustworthy and true, then I guess....... I guess I could welcome you back."

"I would do anything to hear those words, Akane. I could never.......... I could never betray you like that again."

Akane slowly closed distance, and gave him a small hug. Ryoga couldn't return the gesture. He was too busy holding a stream of tears. One escaped, and Akane noticed.

"Don't cry, Ryoga. We're starting over."

"But........ but I'm so happy. I can't help it." Akane smiled, and Ryoga managed to give her a pat on the back. Ukyo beamed, and declarled loudly, "Well, then, that's settled! Now, I made this especially for today, so we're gonna have a party and enjoy it like nothing else!" Ranma and Ryoga pumped their fists in the air, and the teens stepped back into the house. Kasumi's own cooking was already set out, and the Ukyo's addition made it quite the feast. Everyone had sat down, and was about to commence the eating, but another call from outside interupted it. Ranma got up, and quickly went to answer the door. He opened it, and was stunned to find Shampoo and Mousse, with a delivery box, standing there.

"Wha-? Shampoo, Mousse, what are you two doing here?"

"We've come to bring some news that might please you. Shampoo has decided......"

"We going back to China. Great-Grandmother stay here and watch shop." Shampoo interupted him. "Ranma no longer husband under Amazon law. Shampoo free to go."

"Really? That's great, Shampoo! You finally get to go home!" But Shampoo's face didn't show the same enthusiasm. "Shampoo?"

"Shampoo sorry for causing so much trouble. Shampoo hope that we not be enemies anymore."

"Of course not! We're friends, right?"

"Friends? How we be friends? Shampoo try and take Ranma for herself...."

"Aww, forget about it. It's over now, right? Why dwell on the past?"

"Ranma not angry?"

"No....." Ranma lost his smile. "I was frustrated for a while. There was just so much going on, I couldn't stand all this engagement bull. It wasn't you I was mad at." He regained his grin. "But that's all over. Like I said, why remember those things? Now, if you're not gonna chase me anymore, then Mousse..."

"I hold no more grudge against you, Saotome. We simply came to present you with this news, and with the parting gift." Mousse held out the box of ramen.

"Well, that's kind of you." He took the box, and was about to bid them farewell, when he heard the laughter from inside. "Say....... would you two mind staying for a bit? We're having a bit of a party, but we could use a few more people. How 'bout you join us?"

"Really? Ranma invite us to party?"

"Oh, that's all right, Saotome, you don't have to - "

"No, I insist. There's more than enough food to go around. Ukyo and Ryoga are here, as well. It'll be a great party! C'mon in!"

Shampoo and Mousse looked at each other, and deliberated silently for a moment. Then, Shampoo smiled. "Good! We have fun party, yes?"

"Yes!" Ranma opened the door for them, and the two Chinese teens made their way to where the rest of the people were sitting. Everybody waved, and beckoned them to take a seat. An extra table was brought out to accomodate all the extra people. When everyone was seated, Kasumi's food was passed around, then Shampoo's ramen, then Ukyo's _okonomiyaki_. It was a large amount of food, but everyone dug in, and started talking rapidly. Before long, jokes were being exchanged, and even Ryoga and Mousse got in to the fun. It was loud, and warm inside the cozy little Tendo dining hall that night. There were no more sad welcomes, no more uneasy relationships. Everyone was loose, and relaxed. Everyone was acting like friends. Good food, good friends, and that all added up to a great time. There was no party ever like it in that house, or never one to like it to come after. It was unique. The first, and last, time that all of these martial artists, once enemies, would get together like this, and be in such good company. It was picture perfect.

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Everyone had gone to bed, long after the party ended. A chill picked up outside, but the house kept seven people sleeping soundly. However, the eighth and newest member of the household was far from sleep. He was sitting up in his cot, flashlight in hand, silently re-reading a letter that he had looked upon countless times today. Thoughts were rushing through his head, so quickly that he couldn't sort them out.

_Missing? Pronounced dead? They couldn't be........ How'd they even find me here? Who was it that sent me this? Inheritance? I don't want............... the will. What's it say? I need that will. But that would mean leaving............... it would mean going to where they are........... where they WERE. If they're gone............ I can go back, right? What's going on? I don't want to leave here. It's perfect here. But................ if there's a will, I need to see it. I have to find out what this is all about. How long? How long would it take? Weeks? Months even? That's not long, considering................ considering what this means. But still................. what if it's a hoax? What if....... no. Even if it's fake, I can't find out until I go and see for myself._

"So it's settled. I'm leaving. Well, I can't just disappear. They'll come looking for me. They'd worry. Nabiki would worry..........."

Jason Vargas quietly, as so not to disturb Ranma, pulled out paper, pen, and began to sketch a letter. _If I can't tell them........... then I'll just make sure they know that I'm okay. I'll tell them not to look for me. I'll tell her............ that it's okay. I'll be back._ And he began writing the last thing they would ever hear of him.

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Jason woke up early, earlier than usual. It was Saturday, so nobody would wake up, but just to be sure, he moved quietly. The sun was just rising, and rays of light dotted the dark hall. The stairs wanted to creak as me went down, but he was able to suppress most of the creaks with careful steps. He arrived at the front door, and stopped. _So this is where it ends........... For now._ He slipped on his shoes, and slid open the door. The morning chill hit him, but he just pulled his jacket a little tighter, and took a step out.

"Stop."

Jason obeyed. He retracted his step, but didn't turn to face her. She was standing there, cross-armed and tapping her foot. He didn't look at her.

"I have to go."

"Why?"

"It's............. personal."

She grabbed his case, which was slung over his shoulder. "Tell me!"

"I can't."

"Then you're not leaving."

He didn't fight it. He just stood, as still as possible, and eventually, Nabiki's grip on the case slid off.

"Go then. I won't miss you."

"That's okay. I'm not asking you to."

He began to walk again, when two slender arms wrapped around his waist. "I........ I'm not gonna cry. Don't make me cry, Jason, or I'll hate you."

"What if I said I'll be back?"

"You have to promise."

"I promise."

"Then I guess........... I guess I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

She let go, and he proceeded to walk again. However, he didn't make it two steps before whirling on her, and embracing her roughly. His hands stroked her hair, for what might be the last time. She placed his hand up onto his chest, and then wrapped them around his neck. She pulled him into a kiss, and he offered no resistance. She pressed hard against his mouth, and kissed like he was marching off to an execution squad. He caressed her neck, and she gasped when a cold feeling came over her skin. She broke the kiss, and touched the golden chain around her neck. She ran her fingers down to where a small musical note charm rested. She examined it, and then looked up. He had already begun walking off, and she was forced to watch him leave. It was painful, and she squeezed her little necklace. He had reached the double doors, and opened one of them. But before he passed away from sight, he turned back, and gave her a wave.

"I'll be back for that!" And then he stepped away, and he fell away from the Tendo life. The sun was peaking now, and the bright rays stung Nabiki's eyes. A single tear ran down her cheek, and fell onto the cold wood floor. And Jason Vargas disappeared from the little town of Nerima, Japan. All he became after that was a figure sihlouetted by the sun, a lone traveler, a maverick.

It was the last time anyone ever heard the name 'Jason Vargas'. It rained that day, and his footprints were washed away.

He was truly gone.

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AN: OH NO, IT'S ALL OVER! Not. I'm sorry to leave it hanging, but this first installment had to end. It shows how much one man can change things. But that's not the point. Ranma and Co. will be back in the second installment of the fic, and I hope all my readers will be ready for another story. Want a little hint? It involves a tournament, and it's in Europe. England, to be exact. Do you know what's special about Europe? I'll let you guess.

There was no song in particular that Jason played, but I can imagine a song being played during his departure scene. It's a song called 'Shine', my Mr. Big, I think. It's on the Hellsing OST1, Raid. It's the last track, but on the CD case, it's not labeled. Oh well. Give Kazaa a spin, see what you find.

Next time, the beginning of a new story in the Ranmaverse. First, was 'And so things go on'. Next, will be 'The Serenade of the Battle: The new life' Don't worry, there won't be too much suspense. I've already started on the first chapter, and with the weekend coming up, I forsee about three chapters. I don't know how long the second story will be, but I'm gonna guess it's gonna be about seven chapters, like this one was.


	8. A City Changed, Its People Not

Disclaimer: Copyright laws are in place to prevent unauthorized use of the said material, but here we are, a whole network dedicated to the defiliatioin and encroachment of those laws. Man, what a bunch of evil people we are. I'm gonna go steal some kids McDonalds next. Oh, and any and all copyright violations in this story have the right to be removed by Rumiko Takahashi. (Mmmm, McDonalds.......)

Yay! Here is the first Chapter of the second installment of this fic...............( Drum Roll ) .........................

_**The Serenade to the Battle: A New Life**_

_Chapter One: A City Changed, it's People Not_

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A breeze stirred passed by, and stirred up the dust of Nerima, Japan. It was noon, and a bright sun beat down upon the town's inhabitants. The green surrounding it was especially beautiful this time of year. The mountains were covered in the vast expanses of forest, making Nerima stand out all the more. This entire scene was being witnessed by a lone person, sitting atop a hill. Chestnut brown hair swayed in the wind. A small chain with a musical note clinked softly. Nabiki Tendo looked over her hometown, and sighed. It had been too long since she had come up here. Life had become too hectic.

It had been one and a half years since Jason Vargas' departure. He had left only a note to give them any clue or reason, but all the note really asked was two things. Not to follow, and not to forget. Other than that, the Tendo family had no idea where their friend had run off to. Nabiki had moped around for a day, constantly checking the front door, hoping it was all a mistake, and he would come back at anytime. But he didn't. And after the first day, she just stopped trying. She, along with those involved, continued on with their lives.

Ranma, Akane, and Nabiki were now graduates of Furinkan High School. They had discussed it feverently, about college and the dojo, but they all made the same choice. Nabiki, being the economic guru she was, got hired out as a stock anylist, recieving and sending out reports and predictions for a few companies. In the passing years, a huge boom in technology was being introduced, and the ever changing economy need minds like Nabiki's to judge progress and to make deals. She was paid well, and so she forsake college to work full-time for a corporation that owned many stocks.

After Ranma and Akane's graduation, which was only two months ago, they decided to put their full time into the dojo. Even though it was still Soun's by name, Ranma and Akane ran it together. After a clever series of ad's set up by Nabiki, students were beginning to show. After the first year, they had a moderatly sized amount of students, and the classes were divided up into groups. The more novice students would be taught by Soun and Genma, which was an excellent choice, due to their laughable demeanour and enjoyable moods. The kids especially loved to wrestle with Genma's panda form. Akane took on the intermediate students, and when they were ready, she passed them on to Ranma, who taught the finest, and strictest points of Anything-Goes. It was a system that worked, so nobody was left out.

Ryoga and Ukyo were still living together. Ukyo had officially hired him out as her only waiter, and so he recieved a modest income. Since leaving school, Ukyo was able to keep her restaurant open now at the early morning, lunch, and afternoon hours, bringing in a whole bunch of new customers. She had expanded, with Ryoga's help, and the restaurant had a new seating wing outside the cafe. They got along quite well, and Ranma even began to spot some stirrings of a closer relationship than the two would admit. They still visited the Tendo house frequently, and Ryoga and Akane had made up completely. Akane no longer freaked out when Ryoga accidentaly transformed. Ukyo and Ryoga were treated like an extended family. Dinners were commonly served for two extra, and familiy outings often included them.

The Tendos had only heard a bit from Shampoo and Mousse. Apparently, they were doing well back in their village, although Shampoo had recieved some initial flak from her loss of Ranma to Akane, but that was to be expected. A few postcards had been sent, wishing the family well. In the photos, pictures of Shampoo and Mousse together made them smile. Although they couldn't quite know what was going on between the two Chinese teens from the pictures, some had their suspicions.

All in all, life after Jason was perfectly normal. It fact, it was better than it had ever been. Income from nearly all of the family, no more rivals and ridiculous scandals to deal with, and the prospect of a comfortable life. It was possible, after all the engagement trouble, after all the venom, all the craze. Nerima had finally settled down. Who could complain? Life was peaceful, yet energetic and filled with activity. Life was perfect for the Tendo family........ minus one.

Nabiki still had doubts. Although she was financially, mentally, and physically set, there was still something missing for her. In the short time she had known Jason.......... they had gotten along very well. It was the start of a great relationship, a possible future with them together........... but he had cut it short. With no previous explanation, no inkling of a sign, he took off. The quiet, wise, and musically talented boy of 18 had become a family friend............. and he forsook all of it. Who could tell why? Nabiki, the closest one to Jason, was the most confused. He had seemed genuinely happy here. But.......... who could tell? She sure couldn't. And she couldn't stand it. At times, she began to hate him, to loathe him for his inconsideration. On one occasion, she had screamed at him, cursing his idiocy and his bastardness...... until she couldn't scream anymore. At that point, she had realized what she was saying, and cried herself to sleep. Their time together was short, and their relationship hadn't had time to develop......... but she missed him just the same.

Then one day, two letters arrived simultaneously at the Tendo residence. One was an advertisement for a martial arts tournament, being held in London, England. The very best fighters from every country and every culture would show, and compete for a world championship. It was a no-hold-barred fight to a knockout, and anyone could enter. A small entry fee was required, but other than that, there were no restrictions. This excited Ranma and Akane. Not only was it a chance to test their skills against highly trained opponents, it was a chance to spread their school's name. There was even a grand prize of two thousand dollars, in any monetary form the winner desired. Soun and Genma needed only to supply the kids with the entry fee, and Ranma and Akane quickly decided to enter the tournament.

The other letter was addressed to Nabiki. No return address, no stamp even. Just an envelope with _Nabiki_ written in flowing letters. She took it up to her room and opened it in private. It contained two items. The first was a photo. Nabiki's heart skipped a beat, as her eyes fastened on a young man, standing on a building, highlighted by a full moon. His features were shadowed, but a telltale jacket, and a case standing upright next to him revealed his identity. _Jason........._ Nabiki couldn't help but smile. _He's all right. And he wrote. It's about time._ The letter within in the envelope began with the words, "I'm sorry, Nabiki. I can't come back." Nabiki choked again, and this time almost ripped the paper in half, until she was able to calm down and read the whole letter:

_I'm sorry, Nabiki. I can't come back. It's been too long now, and I'm neck-deep in a quicksand of the worst kind._

_I hope that nobody's forgotten me. I want to ask about everybody, but that's not possible._

_I'm writing to you with the hope that you would have something to remember me by. It's not much, but it's all I could get._

_I'm in a bit of trouble, but don't you worry about it. I don't want you to think for a second of looking for me._

_You'd just get sucked in, too. I just ran into a bit of legal trouble. Actually, I won't lie. It's a lot of legal trouble._

_But it's none of your concern. I can take care of it myself. It'll take a few years, for sure, but I can get it done._

_However, I won't be able to leave England during that time period. And when I say a few years, I mean around five._

_Even if I do manage to get this over with, I still won't be able to move. If it comes to that, just remember, don't look for me._

_I know it may seem a lot to ask, but you have to trust me. If I see you anywhere near me, I'll never forgive you._

_So please, for me, just stay in Nerima. Enjoy your life. I hear you work for the big-shots now. Good job._

_I imagine you're still wearing that necklace I gave you. It's yours now. I won't be able to come back to get it._

_Tell Ranma and Akane hi for me. And I just wanted to say tha_

The letter ended abruptly. Nabiki fingered the little gold symbol hanging from her neck. She had been able to keep that week, that one week, out of her memories, but now it all came back. The one week he stayed with them, the one week that her world was turned around. How could she forget?

"'Don't look for me'............ 'don't look for me' he says. That jerk. He expects me to ignore this!? That IDIOT!" She grabbed on the chain, and almost ripped it off, but she was able to maintain control. "He promised............. he promised to come back for this. And now? What does he expect me to do?"

She made up her mind, and began packing, when Ranma and Akane stepped in. They tired to calm her down, but her mind was set. She wanted to go and see Jason, to find him and wring his neck for all it was worth. But the couple persisted.

"No, Nabiki. You can't just run off to England. There're things you have to keep up with here, in Nerima. He asked not to look for him. Are you gonna listen or not?"

"Please, Sis. There's no logic in it. Hopping on the first plane to Europe by yourself isn't the smartest move here."

"Who said I was going by myself?" Nabiki stopped placing clothes in her bag, and held up the little broschure about the tournament. "You're going right?"

"Of course!" Ranma was still enthused about the whole thing.

"Then what's the problem if I tag along?"

"Sis......."

"Well?"

Akane shuffled her feet. _She has a point._ "But.......... he asked you to stay. Don't you trust him?"

Nabiki sat down on the bed, and hung her head. "I don't know what to think. He wouldn't want me to go, but.......... he writes a letter like THAT and expects me to just sit back and wonder what happened to him? He knew.......... he knew I would go and look for him. That's why he wrote it. Isn't it?" He looked to Akane for some agreement. But Akane only shook her head.

"I don't know, Nabiki. Please, think about it. Really think about it. But if you're gonna insist........ then you can come along. It's not like we could stop you in the first place." She smiled a bit.

Nabiki brought her knees up to her chest, and concealed her eyes. Ranma and Akane, sensing the conversation's end, left quietly. Nabiki tried to block it all out. She tried to ignore all her emotions, and think about it logically. But she couldn't. There was too much flying through her head right now. She needed room, some breathing space. And so, she found herself on the hill overlooking Nerima, the same hill where Jason had said his last real words to her. The sunset was nearly gone now, and the moon was visible. Nabiki inhaled a deep amount of fresh air, and let her nerves calm themselves.

_Why did he do this to me? Does he want me to suffer? Does he want me to feel so........... conflicted?_

She craned her neck, and looked up at the stars. _Beautiful............ and somewhere, he's looking at the same stars. Isn't it worth it to be able to watch these stars beside him, and not a world away?_

She began to isolate constellations. _Crane....... Bear.......... Twins......... So many stars.........._ The night chill set in, and she shivered. _It's cold........ it's cold being alone. I'm not just gonna sit here and feel cold. I have to do something. But........... if he wants me to stay..........._ She found the constellation of Orion, the warrior. _What should I do? It's my feelings against his wishes........ which should I follow? What is the right thing to do?_ The imaginary pictures began to fade away, as she lost focus, and let her eyes glaze over. _It's too much. Too much to think about. I can't decide. I shouldn't have to make this choice. But I wonder....... what would he do?_ This new thought provoked a tingling in her spine. _I know him. He would be more rash than me. He would have been off already._ This made her smile. _He wouldn't listen to me. So shouldn't I be able to do what I please? Yes, I should. He said 'live your life'. Well, fine then. I'm taking a trip to Europe. And no one's gonna stop me._

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Their bags were packed. Soun and Genma were to inform the advanced students of the 'vacation' they were taking, but they would stay and administer to the younger ones. Nabiki had gotten permission to take a leave of abscence, and tied up things at the music store, which she kept in tip-top shape, even though it was 'Temporarily Closed'. They had talked to Ukyo and Ryoga, who had also recieved an invitation to the tournament, and were on the same flight as the Tendo crew. They had taken a cab to the ariport, and were waiting for the flight to be called. Ranma and Akane were seated together, marveling at the population of the little terminal.

"There sure are bunch of people heading to Europe. I wonder how long this thing's gonna be. Two weeks? More, maybe?"

Akane leaned onto his shoulder. "You know, England is supposed to be very romantic at night. And you haven't taken me out in a while."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Suuure, no problem. I'm sure that I could manage to fit you somewhere into my schedule."

She jabbed him in the kidney. "Jerk."

"Oww, oww, watch it, ya don't gotta give me any broken stuff before the tournament."

"Aww, is Ranma being a little wimp. How 'bout this?"

"Whoa, watch it!! No, bad!"

Nabiki grinned, just a bit, at the pair's antics. But it only made here that much more anxious to get going. She walked over to the window, and stared out. Jets were being taxied, and a few were coming in one at a time. _I wonder what England's like..... I've read so much about it. Is it nice there?_ She grinned again, while touching the little charm. _I'm gonna have to make Jason take me out somewhere. When we find him........ If we find him........._ But she pushed the doubt from her mind, and set herself on maintaining her composure.

Ukyo and Ryoga were getting some food, since they hadn't eaten since the night before. The little food stand wasn't much, but they ordered a pair of sandwiches to go, and sat down at a nearby table. They began muching happily on their lunch, and looked over to the three lounging around by the gate.

"So?"

Ryoga swallowed a big piece, and answered her. "What do you mean, so?"

"I mean, what do you think about Nabiki? Is she gonna be all right?"

He waved her question off, and took another chunk into his mouth.

She yanked on his hair. "Don't be so non-chalant. Answer the question."

"Owiieeee, OK, Uncle! Jeez, that really hurt. What do I think? I think that she's perfectly fine, just a bit upest."

"You don't think she'll do anything rash, will you?"

"Like what? Listen, Nabiki is the most intelligent one here. She's perfectly capable of making sound choices, even in a stressful situation. So don't worry about it."

Ukyo let her head rest on the tabletop. "I don't see how you can be so calm....."

"Don't worry, Ukyo. Me and Ranma are here, anyways. It's not like we're gonna let anything happen, all right?"

Ukyo looked up at him. He was happily chewing down the last of his meal. _Just like a cute little schoolboy......_

"Hey, Ukyo, why are you blushing?"

"Huh? OH, N-Nothing! I wasn't... I mean, it wasn't you...... I mean..... It was Ranma and Akane. Yeah, they were......"

"So? That's nothing to get embaressed about. It's not like they don't do that all the time."

"Yeah...." Ukyo hid her face in shame. She could never bring herself to reveal the real reason of her flushed face.

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Their flight was called, and the five young adults began to board the plane. They took their respective seats, with Ranma and Akane paired, Ukyo and Ryoga sharing a row, and Nabiki one seat in front of her sister. They got settled in, and waited patiently as the plane taxied down the runway. _So, here we go._ Nabiki watched grass and pavement go by. _Off to Europe, the center of the world. Goodbye to Nerima, for now._ She would miss her father, and maybe even her friends at work, but it was worth it. She was going to find one of her few friends, and one of her most important ones. _I'll miss it, but I'll be coming back. With Jason beside me, we'll be coming back. Won't we?_ She juggled this last doubt, as the plane lifted its rubber feet from the earth and leapt up into the heavens.

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AN: OK, so they're off! I know some had doubts about Jason't return........ well, he IS coming back. But I won't say anymore than that. It would ruin the story. Duh.

I needed a short chapter to set up for later happenings, so don't be too dissapointed. This was actually quite a challenge to write, after letting my mind dull over Christmas.

No songs, not until Jason reappears. I'm just lazy, that's all. That's not really it. I just don't find it appropriate to play music without the music man himself. So just sit back. Be patient. And remember, drink your milk and eat your Oreos.


	9. A Monkey in an Urban Jungle

Disclaimer: Soooo... any and all semblance that any and every character bears to any and each copyright out there is either intentional or not. Meaning... Any Ranma characters are subject to being removed from the story.

Once again, school takes hold and messes with my mind. I can't get any ideas. Although, a good weekend of doing nothing helps. I think I've got some interesting stuff lined up for this chapter. Enjoy. Oh, and by the way, I'm gonna label these chapters starting from Ch. 8 being Ch.1, and so forth and so on. So, that would make this...

_Chapter Two: A Monkey in an Urban Jungle_

-

"Wow... this place is amazing" Akane stared off in a haze at the modern-day city of London, England. They had arrived at their hotel via taxi only seconds before, and Akane was already marveling at the grandness of the city. Fortunately for the group, Nabiki knew enough English to get by, so she was the one to pay the taxi fare, and the one to check in at the front desk at their hotel. On the fifth floor of the building, Nabiki showed her companions their three rooms. One was for Ryoga and Ukyo, one was for Ranma and Akane, and one would be for Nabiki. The little card keys puzzled them, until Nabiki instructed them on the proper technique.

The rooms were only mediocre, but compared to the rooms back in Nerima, they were strange and spectacular. They were all two-bed rooms, with a bathroom, TV, radio-clock, and a window overlooking the sprawling city. Rivers, skyscrapers, and even an amusement park could be seen from their windows. Akane had her nose pressed against the glass, taking in as much of London as she could. Ranma, a bit woozy from the long flight, collapsed onto one of the beds. Ryoga started to unpack his stuff, while Ukyo hopped into the shower. Nabiki, who had traveled like this before, tossed her things onto the bed, and immediately began to read over the tournament info.

The participants were to check in at the downtown headquarters, where they would register, pay the fee, and recieve their ID's. Nabiki guessed that not all of the tournament hopefuls would be as quick to arrive, so they wouldn't have to wait in any large lines. But if they didn't go soon, it might be a bit difficult to recieve spots. After all, the brochure stressed that spots would be assigned on a "first come, first serve" basis.

Nabiki took a second to sit down and calm her nerves. _It's okay, Nabiki. Be calm. We just got here. It's not like..._ She glanced out the window, and imagined a familiar, comforting figure, sitting on her window sill. _It's not like we're gonna find him that easily._ She sighed, and fingered the little gold emblem that hung from her neck. _But I will find him. Sooner, if not later._

Akane was able to peel her eyes away from the beautiful view, and saw Ranma, about to fall into a nice, post-flight slumber. But she wouldn't allow it, and with a smirk, she hopped onto Ranma's bed, bouncing him out of his snoozing.

"Hey! What's the big idea? Jeez, can't ya leave me in peace for just a sec"

"Oh, c'mon, we came all the way here, and you wanna sleep? There's so much to see! Besides, we have to go register, or else you're gonna be out of the tournament."

Ranma grumbled, but realized her truth, and sat up. "Fine, fine. Well, when do we wanna go"

Akane wrapped her arms around his waist. "Actually, Uyko's taking a bath, and Nabiki's busy planning, so we have a few minutes to relax." She weighed him down, and they lay there, side by side, bathing in an afternoon sun.

Ranma poked her gently in the gut. "Man, you really need to make up your mind. 'Up, Ranma, down, Ranma.' I feel like a dog."

"Oh, phooey. You know that you feel perfectly content right now. Look, you're even smiling."

Ranma couldn't help it. He did feel pretty relaxed, and his mouth curved up against his will. "Well, your face'll do that to a guy."

Akane blushed a bit, and turned her head away. "Stop it."

"No, really. It's like a really good joke..." At this, he burst out laughing, until Akane commenced to pummel him with her fists. "Ow, ow OWW"

-

Ryoga tried ignore the scuffle in the next room, but he also couldn't stop a small grin from forming. He finished setting his clothes neatly in the room's cabinet, and closed the drawer. He plopped onto one of the beds, and flipped on the TV. _Bah. Everythings in English, here. I can't understand a thing._ He switched it off again, and shifted onto his side. He heard Ukyo singing to herself in the shower, and a few thoughts flitted through his mind. Thoughts that caused him to blush furiously. _Stop it, Ryoga. Ukyo is your friend, but we're not THAT close. Although... She IS really pretty. Beautiful, actually._ He pictured her again, this time fully-clothed. Brown-chestnut hair, boyish blue garments, and the giant spatula that was her trademark. _A beautiful girl indeed._ He closed his eyes, and let a little peace settle over him. The steam from the bathroom was starting to spread throughout the room. The moist warmth was caressing his skin. It felt real close, real comforting. He took a breath, and the vapors filled his lungs. A sweet, flowery scent filled his nostrils. _Mmm. A nice smell. I must be dreaming._ He opened his eyes to his dreamworld, to find Ukyo, clad only in a towel, bent over and staring directly in his face. Her hair was dangling about. _Wow. What a dream._

"Hey, dreamer-boy." Ukyo spoke, in an annoyed tone of voice. Ryoga rubbed his eyes, waking himself up, only to find Ukyo still there.

"WHAAAAAAAHHHH" Ryoga almost had a nosebleed, as he retreated awkwardly away from the naked girl. He tumbled over the edge of the bed, and landed on his back. His foot caught the cord of the alarm clock, and it fell onto his head, cracking on impact.

Ukyo cocked an eyebrow. "Uhhh... where are my clothes"

He lifted a finger, and pointed to the dresser. "I stuck your bag in there."

"Thanks." She shrugged it off, and walked over to retrieve her stuff. _Huh. He acts like he's never seen a girl before._ She smilied a devious smile. _Say..._ She walked over to where Ryoga was laying, eyes closed shut. She loosened her towel, just enough to expose some bust, and leaned over sexily. "It's okay, Ryoga. You can open your eyes now."

"Ahh, thanks, Ukyo. I didn't want to..." He opened eyes, to find Ukyo where she was, exposing more skin than before. He had nowhere to retreat to this time, and so rolled his eyes to the back of his head, and fainted. A small trickle of blood oozed out of his nose. _Oh, the poor thing. I didn't mean to take it that far..._ Ukyo quickly dressed, and hoisted him back onto the bed, dabbing his nose with a towel.

-

An hour later, the five teenagers were walking along a large, central avenue. Since Akane wanted to see some sights, they decided to save money that would have been used for a cab, and walked over to the registration office. It was a nice day for walking, even though it was closer to night, seeing as how the sun was nearing the horizon. Ryoga walked in silence, still a bit miffed about Ukyo's little prank. Akane, armed with a cheap, 9mm throw-away camera, was snapping pictures left and right, and running out of film rather quickly. Nabiki was apparantly immersed in the tournament info, but really, it was just an attempt to avoid any conversation. She had an unsettling feeling in her gut, walking around the unfamiliar territory. _He's here. In this very city. And yet, I have no idea where to start looking. This city is so huge!_

Ranma, his hands behind his head in their usual position, tried his best to ignore the sights and act nonchalant, but he couldn't help but be impressed at the modernity and scale of London, England. The buildings were foreign, and built in a strange style, but they towered many many stories up into the sky, and some even seemed to reach above the clouds. Some were even made entirely out of glass, which puzzled everyone but Nabiki. Those buildings caught the light of the setting sun, and sparkled a dazzling orange glow. Akane used her last few shots to get the group next to one of the skyscrapers, and was crestfallen when she discovered her ammo had run out.

"Aww. Ranma, tomorrow, you're gonna take me to get another camera! There's so much to see here"

"Yeah... I just hope there's enough money for food... I don't wanna starve because SOMEONE wasted all our money...

Akane grabbed his ear, and yanked him aside. "Did you say something, Ranma sweetie"

"Nope. Nothing at all."

She growled, and tried to sock him in the gut. He took the opportunity to redirect her attack, and she nearly stumbled into a water fountain. He was able to grap the collar of her shirt, and keep her aloft.

"Ooooh, Ranma, if you had let me fall in..."

"What? What were you gonna do"

"I'd go and sleep in Nabiki's room."

Ranma hung his head. "Uhhhhh... sorry."

She grabbed him by the waist, and jumped onto his back. "Oh, you look disappointed. Where you planning anything"

"Hmph. Not a thing."

"Really"

"Really..."

As they continued to squabble. Ukyo was trying to comfort Ryoga.

"Ryoga, I'm sorry."

"You've told me that a thousand times before, Ukyo."

"I know, but you're not acknowledging me. I'd like you to say something."

"Like what"

"I don't know, like 'I forgive you', or something along those lines."

He didn't respond. She suddenly gave up, and began to mimic Ryoga, turning her head away, and crossing her arms over her chest. He didn't realize what she was doing until he noticed the sudden quiet, and he looked up to find her staring away from him.

"Uhhh... Ukyo"

She glanced over at him, but quickly turned away again. He became a little worried. _Uh-oh. I hope she's not mad at me. I mean, it was her fault, and I have every right to be angry, but... Ah, maybe I should have just said 'It's okay' or whatever._

"Uhhh... Ukyo" He repeated his call. "Listen, uh... I'm sorry, but, it's just... that was mean what you did, you know"

"Yeah, I know. But I said I was sorry, and I was sincere. It's very rude to reject someone like that. You could hurt their feelings."

Ryoga rubbed the bridge of his nose. _Great. She IS mad at me. Oh well..._

"But..." Ukyo shuffled back over to Ryoga's side. "Since you did apologize, I guess I can forgive you. Now then, Ryoga. I'm only gonna say it one more time. I'm sorry, okay"

Ryoga looked over to her, and smiled. "OK, Ukyo. It's okay."

Ukyo looked very pleased with herself, and proceeded to take his hand. "Now, then, let's be friends, allright"

Ryoga blushed, and turned his head away slightly, to hide it. "Yeah, sure Ukyo..."

Nabiki ignored the two pairs behind her. Ahead of them, she spotted what looked like the building from the brochure. Sure enough, as they neared it, Nabiki was able to identify the sign.

" 'Zilart Tournament Entry Office'. This is it guys." The entire group came to a halt when they heard Nabiki finally speak up. The building she had mentioned was a large, marble patterned building, black and green all around. The sign that Nabiki had spotted was only a temporary one, hung above the central door. _It must have be some sort of business hosting this tournament. I wonder who Zilart is. I don't recognize the name._

They stepped inside, and were greeted by a wonderful arrangement of statues, plants, and various other things that matched the color of the outside of the building. Nabiki headed straight for the desk, and within a few minutes, had four ID's fresh from lamination for the four entrees.

"It's really quite simple. You all have respective numbers. Each day, an announcement will be made at a square not too far from here. About ten battles will be held daily for two weeks. At the end of that time period, the winner will be the one with the most victories. If there is a tie, a tie-breaking match will be held the final day. And that's about it."

Ranma clenched his fist. "All right. We'll start training first thing tomorrow."

Nabiki shook a finger. "Uh-uh, Ranma boy. Tomorrow, early in the morning, is the preliminary announcment. The sponsor of the tournament will be there, and anyone who's registered has to show, or else he is disqualified."

"Awwww... a boring meeting"

"Pretty much."

Ranma hung his head. "Well, if I gotta..."

Akane carressed his cheek. "Don't worry, Ranma. We'll do something fun tonight, like go out to eat. After all, this is sort of like a vacation for us. So let's enjoy it! Nabiki"

"Let's see... here. This restaurant looks nice. Well, let's go get dressed. It's a fancy restaurant."

Ryoga and Ranma chimed in unison. "Do we gotta dress up"

The girls yelled in annoyance. "Yes"

"Awww..."

-

"Man, this tie's killin' me" Ranma struggled with the piece of cloth that was wrapped around his neck.

"You said it." Ryoga was also trying desperately not to be choked to death.

Akane stomped over to them. "Oh, quit complaining. You two are both martial artists, yet you can't sit still for one minute"

"Uhhhh... I don't see you wearin' one of these." Ranma pointed to his tie.

"Of course not. We're girls."

Ryoga elbowed him softly. "Yeah" he whispered"girls have it nice when it comes to dressing up."

Ukyo pulled Ryoga away from his friend. "What did you say, Ryoga"

"N-Nothing."

Ranma and Ryoga were both clad in khakis, plain white button-down dress shirts, and a plain black tie. Ranma had on a maroon jacket, whle Ryoga had on a reddish-brown one. They looked sharp, but were both extremely uncomfortable. Akane had on a white gown-type dress, while Ukyo had on an aqua-blue sheath dress. Nabiki wore her crimson one, the same that she wore on her date with Jason. It was the last dress she had bought, and it had become her personal favorite rather quickly. The musical necklace she wore only helped to accentuate her features.

They took their seats at their table, a round one that overlooked the street below. Ranma and Ryoga loosened their uncomfortable garments a bit when they sat down, and stopped complaining once they were able to breathe. Akane and Ukyo didn't approve, but they allowed the boys to dine with their clothes loosened somewhat.

"All right, all right, now, what are we gonna eat"

Ranma and Ryoga scanned with practiced eyes over the menu, and quietly discussed possible orders with each other. Akane and Ukyo couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was sure that they were really dissecting the menu. The girls all together decided to order a large plate of shrimp that they could all share from, but it wouldn't cost too much.

"So, boys, what are you getting"

Ranma and Ryoga grinned widely as they lifted their heads from the menu.

"T-bone steak marinated in onion sauce, with three sides of potatoes, corn, and breadsticks"

"Grilled chicken salad with cheesesticks, garlic bread, and some shishkebab"

The two girls' jaws dropped to the table. "That much"

"Why not? We got some hard fightin' the next few days. Might as well stock up now, right Ryoga"

"You said it, Ranma"

Akane and Ukyo sighed in disbelief. _Boys. All they think about is food._ Akane glanced over to her sister, who seemed to be mesmerized by something. "Hey, sis, what's wrong"

"I recognize that man..."

"Huh" Akane looked over to where her sister's eyes fell. An older looking man, dressed in full tuxedo, was taking his seat next to an equally aged woman. It seemed that the waiters were treating them with special care and attention, helping the man into his chair. The older couple carried with them an aura of wealth, of upper-class attitude.

"That's Zilart. He's the sponsor of the tournament. I saw his portrait in the registration office."

"Oh. Well, fancy that, us seeing him here and all."

"Yeah..." Nabiki seemed unsettled. Something about the man didn't seem right. He looked uncomfortable, uneasy, like he didn't want to be here. He was constantly glancing around, searching for something. "I wonder..."

Suddenly, a loud crash cut short her train of thought. Patrons and employees began to yell in confusion as more noise ensued. The four martial artists instantly arose to try and pinpoint the source of the noise. Nabiki, however, remained calm, as she watched the older man's reaction. He seemed frightened, but he didn't try and leave. _It's as if... he was expecting this..._

A large trio of bodyguards quickly surrounded the man, and they all unholstered a single black pistol, all apparantly the same model. They flicked their gaze around the restaurant, searching for the disturbance. It was emptying quickly, but the five teens stayed put, ready for anything.

Another crash sounded out, this farther away, and out of the line of sight of Ranma and the others. However, the bodyguards seemed to spot something, and they commenced the firing of their weapons. Loud blasts were repeatedly spat from their guns, and more glass was being shattered.

One of the bodyguards took a bullet in the shoulder, and he went falling backwards. The other two tightened up the hole, making themselves human shields for Zilart. The group suddenly realized this was not a one-sided shooting. It was a firefight. Someone else had a gun, and was taking out the bodyguards. Sure enough, another of the guards went down from a shot in the leg, and only one was left standing. He ejected a spent clip, and reached down to his belt to grab another. But he wasn't fast enough. Before he could load the next one, a figure clad in dark grey whisked down from the ceiling and landed squarely on the guard's chest. He went flying backwards, and his gun was flicked away uselessly. The attacker landed nimbly next to the older man, and the latter's face went even whiter than before. The mysterious attacker put a revolver to the helpless man's head, and spoke a few, inaudible words. Ranma and the group rushed him, to try and stop a possible execution.

"Stand back, or he gets a head full of .45 lead." The assaulter's voice rang out angrily. In Japanese, no less. He must have recoginzed the martial artists nationality. Ranma and the others stopped running, not wanting to provoke him. All except Nabiki. She nearly tripped and fell when she heard that voice. _So familiar... too familiar... could it be... Jason?_

"Jason"

The armed man turned his head for the first time, and stared at Nabiki. She almost choked when she saw his face. It was a harder, tougher face than she had remembered, but the eyes were the same. Piercing, and knowledgeable. They twinkled a bit when they found Nabkiki. He froze, completely ignoring his hostage, but a loud stomping sound snapped him out of his mesmiric state. The large double doors burst open, and a police squad began engulfing the darkly-dressed man. He managed not to be encircled by retreating to the rear of the restaurant, but by leaving his hostage behind, the police had the ability to open fire, which they did. The gunman leapt out of the window from whence he came, and Nabiki followed the police to the hole in the building.

Since they were on the fifth floor, it was quite a fall, but the man was not falling, but rappelling. A rope with a hook on the end was connected to the window sill, and he was lowering himself quickly to the ground. One of the policemen hacked the rope with his knife, but the gunman was low enough to make a nimble landing, and he could be seen running off into an alley. A few more shots were heard, but from the squabbling on the radios, it sounded like he had escaped. Nabiki collapsed onto the ground, clutching her necklace. Akane and the others made their way over to her, and tried to comfort her, but she was in too great a state of shock.

_Jason... why? Why would he do such a thing?_

-

AN: Yay, another long delayed chapter posted! I hope people still have intrest in this story. But now, I think my creative spark has returned, and bestowed at least enought inspiration to finish the story. So rejoice, celebrate!

Song, song, song... How about when Jason completely cleans out the place? That would be... Hash Hash, from the Trigun OST The Second Donuts. It's got that nice 'I'm a crazy guy who's gonna kill you' guitar sound to it.

Ah, and one more thing. I might get a bit lazy with the whole language barrier, so if I do... don't tell me. I like to be lazy. It's good for the constitution. Fung Shui, or whatever.


	10. The Tournament Begins

You know what? My stories have been disclaimed, by yours truly, every single chapter as far as i can remember. I still don't know if i actually have to do them or if this is just an exercise in futility. So i'm making this the last, that encompasses every chapter i write for this story from here on out. Now why didn't I think of this earlier? Jeez...

FW: Who knew that college kept you busy enough to steal you from your hobbies? It's been over 5 years since I started this story, and reading it over after a long hiatus, I realize that I have slowly inched towards a darker tone, and that is best saved on my Hellsing story (Vampiric Lone Wolf Blues, you all should totally read it) Also, I know from my reviews (which I do read for your information) that people are appreciative of me keeping the characters in character as much as possible. So with that in mind, I will try to get back to the lighter side of things, while still maintaining the tension and suspense.

_**Chapter Three: The Tournament Begins...**_

The darkness was nearly gone, and even though you couldn't see the sun, its rays slivered up over the horizon. The thick, misty morning air rolled in with the first light, giving the city that ghastly, eerie grey glow. For a few mintues, people walked the streets not able to see past the next block, and with sheer quiet that comes with the early hours, London guised itself as a ghost town.

And as the light of the distant star shone brighter, the colorful glow off on the horizon could be seen. The few who were already awake welcomed the sunrise into their morning routine, while others who woke with the sun were greeted by the familiar sight. More and more people opened their sleep-filled eyes to the universal clock, that solar sign that started the day.

With the edge of the sun peeking up from under the Earth, the direct sunlight began to cut into the morning fog. Slowly, the air warmed, and the misty veil began to thin. Soon people would be finishing up their coffee, waking their children, lacing their boots, and stepping out onto a clear sidewalk under a cloudless sky. And so began the day for the people of London.

... but so ended a long and vigilant night for one inhabitant who did not find the comfort of sleep, at least not when the moon was out. Instead, he had spent the night lounging in a chair facing the door to his... well, you couldn't call it his apartment. He wasn't paying rent, after all. So you couldn't call it his, and you really coudn't call it an apartment at all. He was squatting in... let's say a room. A dilapidated, dusty mess of what might have once been some family's apartment, in a building slowly dying from disrepair and abandonment. Hidden behind a block of more modern and well-kept structures that made up a piece of the living London, this dead edifice was forgotten. Its stairs only went up so far, as the top-most had rotted into a state of unusable filth; dust lined the banister that had toppled in so many places, but still stood in a few, and many of the numbers that identified the rooms had fallen off the doors and had long since toppled over the edge and down into the bottom floor. It was a building that was not to be salvaged, and if the city had its way in a few years would torn down to make room for something new. But until then... it was the home of a lone soul who looked over the city from the highest room he was able to reach.

Sleep never came easy for Jason nowadays. A tense atmosphere reigned over sleepless nights, as every siren that sounded and every flashing light caught his attention, pricked at his ears and his eyes. Even on quieter nights, he couldn't help but feel the tension, the fear. He knew they were out looking for him, and he knew it would only be a matter of time. One slip up, and he would spend the next 50 years in a dingy cell not much cleaner than where he was now. And it was those thoughts that kept him up at night, that had turned him into a nocturnal animal, doing his work at night and hiding from the suns rays by day.

Even during the day, when the sun warmed his skin and he lay down on his flimsy mattress, the Sandman would not come easily. Very often, his mind wandered. Back to the days in his home country, when he was a child. No worries, then. His family wasn't rich, not by a long shot, but he was happy. His aunt and uncle loved him, cared for him. They were old, kind, and they watched over him as well as any parents would.

And that thought would always lead him down the dark path of self-absorbed loathing that kept him from dreaming peacefully. His parents. His biological mother and father. What a pair. A child that they didn't want, left in the care of an "aunt" and "uncle" that he had no real blood connection to. Like it mattered. Those two cared for him more deeply than the two high-class American leeches that had birthed him. He could remember the day he met them. Well kempt, well dressed. Their Spanish fluent but with a slight, ugly splattering of American. He could remember their faces rather clearly. Big, fake smiles that kept saying, "We're your parents. Come home with us." What a nightmare.

And just like he told his mind to ignore those memories, to run away from that recurring nightmare of a thought, he had packed what little he had, some coins, some bills, some memoirs of home... and he ran. At first he had no idea where he was headed. All he could think of was to get away. Far away. Where the Americans couldn't find him. He always felt sorry for leaving his foster parents, but he couldn't stay. He knew that if he did his real parents would keep coming back. Keep pressing until eventually he would have to go with them. And he just couldn't allow that to happen.

The bus took him to a small port on the coast, where he could see the boats coming and going across the ocean. He sat there, on the beach, staring at the horizon. Costa Rica was a small country, he thought. They would find him. There were only so many places to hide. He need more distance, to get further away. And so he snuck onto a small passenger boat that was on its way out to Cuba. It was not a place he wanted to stay. He had his eyes on a bigger prize. The one place his parents would never think to look.

America.

And with that, Jason shook his memories out of his head. The thoughts of his days in America only served to keep sleep further from his reach. Instead, he turned his thoughts to a gentler, happier memory. The last place he felt that satisfied warmth. The last place he felt at peace. Nerima.

Nowhere expect in his childhood memories had Jason ever looked up into a clear blue afternoon sky and simply smiled. For years and years every step he ever took was just preceding another step that would take him to another place, another city, another country. It was in that small village in Japan that Jason was able to take one final step. He had reached a destination that, until finally reaching it, he had not known what it was. He had been wandering aimlessly towards an end that he couldn't see, forever eluding his footsteps, until he could walk no further. He had run to the ends of the earth and found for himself a little piece of it that he could call home. And people... that he called his family...

And it was through this bittersweet thought that Jason could finally rest. With the sting of loneliness in his eyes he could dig into the filthy bed and old blanket and allow his mind to fall into dreams of his home. Dreams of his family. And dreams of his love.

The dreams of her love were interrupted violently at the gut-wrenching thought of his prolonged absence and criminal reappearance. Nabiki sat up quickly in bed, flustered and breathing heavily. Those dark and frightening thoughts had her hair standing on end and her adrenaline pumping, but as she surfaced into full consiousness and saw the dim hotel room around her, she tried to reign in her errant mind and calm herself.

Disbelief lingered at the epicenter of her thoughts. His actions did not reflect the cool, unshakeable attitude carried by the young man who so subtly collapsed into her life. Jason was the epitome of smooth, of taking surprises head on and maintaining his poker face throughout. His silent demeanor made it difficult, almost frustratingly so, for Nabiki to read his thoughts and his emotions, but during his short stay in Nerima, her persistence sliced a hole in his stoicism, just enough of one for her to see what he had hidden within: kindness, passion for music, and signs of an inner emotional struggle he kept even closer to his chest than the rest. He was intriguing, complex, intelligent. He was foreign and familiar, all at once. He was unique, and she loved him for that. She fell in love with one Jason Vargas.

Last night... that was not him. It was a doppelganger. A ruse. An inventive scheme someone constructed to fool her. The man at the restaurant... he was cold, not cool. Emotionless, rather than calm. Aggressive, not passive. His actions betrayed him to be a being that couldn't be further from her heart's desire, and yet... the lingering image of those piercing blue eyes rose up from the haze of the memory of the event. Through those twin portals, she saw beneath the criminal, and had caught a glimpse of Jason. The real Jason. The man she loved was still there... just hidden. Suppressed. Whatever had happened in his time here in London, it had changed him. Caused him to retreat into himself. To put on a criminal's face and act the part... but why? That was the burning question. Why would he changed himself into something he wasn't? What did he hope to accomplish by it?

Nabiki's thoughts swirled round and round. She squeezed her eyes shut, buried her head deep into the cheap hotel pillow. Mere hours after the incident, she was still greatly unsettled. She just wanted to sleep, to push her tumultuous thoughts down until she could sort them out the following day. His face passed before her once again, and she prayed for relief, for a brief respite from her thoughts, for sleep to drag her worries away...

The day was a little over an hour old when Ukyo opened her eyes. Sunlight illuminated the room warmly, and she realized that she had slept in a bit later that she usually did, but taking into consideration last night's events, it didn't surprise her. After Jason... _I still can't believe that was him_... after he stole into the alleys of the city, the area around the restaurant became a bustling commotion of lights, officers, onlookers, and a general traffic that rivaled the afternoon rush hour. It took almost two hours just to make it back to the hotel. The taxi had slowly but safely navigated through the knots of cars clogging the streets. It was a quiet ride home, save for the taxi driver's initial inquisitiveness into the situation. But after a quick brief, he caught the mood of the passengers and withdrew his questions. Ukyo and Ryoga had volunteered to squish up front with the driver, while Ranma and Akane stayed in back with Nabiki, wore a silent and emotionless stare the entire way home. Out the car and into the building, she simply walked forward, head held high, betraying none of the emotion roiling within. Through the lobby and up the elevator, she maintained her composure, finally slipping into her room without a word to her sister or her friends.

The event had her blood running all night, and it took time for Ukyo's nerves to settle before she could finally shut her eyes and attempt to sleep. Ryoga stayed up with her, speaking quietly about Jason and Nabiki and what might happen next. His presence was comforting, and despite his disdain for the man, Ryoga was not so quick to condemn Jason, but instead was curious to learn what Jason's motivations might have been. They were both sure that more would be discussed the following day, and decided to turn in for the night. Ukyo gripped Ryoga's hand before he could rise from her bedside, and they locked gazes for a second. He did not blush. She released his hand, and they both ran through their nightly routines before finally laying down and getting some much needed sleep.

Ukyo lay awake for another few minutes, not wanting to leave her bed right away, but she began to toss and turn, and her restlessness finally drew her to swing her legs over the side of her bed and sit up to absorb the morning sun. She stretched and yawned, her ocean blue hair rolling lazily over her shoulders.

The bit of noise she made was enough to catch Ryoga's ear, and he too sat up straight to let out a large yawn, scratching his head while he cocked his head in Ukyo's direction.

"What time is it?"

She glanced at the little clock between their beds. "Half past ten."

Ryoga groaned and collapsed back onto his mattress, pulling the covers back over his head. "Too early. Wake me up when we have to report to the tournament."

Whack! The spatula landed squarely on the back of Ryoga's head, inciting a loud yelp as he hopped into a standing position on the bed, pointing accusingly with one hand while rubbing his wound with the other. "Ow ow ow! Whadya do that for, trying to give me a concussion before the tourney? Jeez..."

Ukyo rested her weapon onto her shoulder. She huffed "Lazy bum! The speech starts before noon! You go back to bed and we'll miss it! We might even be disqualified!"

Ryoga crossed his arms and legs, sitting defensively on his bed. He closed his eyes and wagged a finger back at her. "Well you didn't have to strike me just for that. It was a long night and I wanted to get the proper amount of sleep.

Hands on her hips, Ukyo bent over to look in Ryoga's face. "And what happened to the disciplined young man who always woke up with the sun?"

He sighed. "Ranma is having a bad influence on me..."

Ukyo ruffled her frizzled blue hair and tossed it back as she stood up straight. "Well you can have a chance now to make up for it. I'm going to draw a bath so we can get ready to head into town."

Ryoga scrunched his face, and looked at her behind squinted eyes. "No funny business this time?"

She slipped into the bathroom to bathe, but not before peeking her head out. "Whatever do you mean, dear?" She smiled her sly smile before closing the door.

He sighed to himself, and the sound of running water prompted him to face away from the bathroom. Instead, he turned himself out to face the rays entering through the hotel window, and from his cross-legged position he took a deep breath and focused on the thoughts floating in his head. They were disjoint and unorganized. The break from routine in coming here to London had jumbled them all up. Time to put them in their place.

Minutes ticked by, and the warmth crawling across his skin kept him relaxed while he meditated over the events of the past few days. His focus on the tournament had slipped into the background. While the turmoil surrounding Jason was not to be brushed aside, he had come for the tournament, and it would need to once again take priority. He resolved not to take the next few days for granted, and brought out an eagerness to begin training once more.

Next, he turned his thoughts onto last night. The memory replayed quite clearly, but many questions surrounded the incident. Why here? Why now? What was his motivation? What could Zilart have possibly done? Unknowns... the incident was a dark cloud of unknowns, and trying to discern any answers from what little information he had would be an exercise in futility. He would need to push this aside for now, remembering to be understanding of Nabiki's impact by it and to be vigilant of any clues or answers he might encounter.

And finally, a single, nagging thought crept up slowly from the haze. Ukyo... The image of her face came easily to him. Thoughts of her were common now, flitting in and around him like a hummingbird. They weren't something he could contain, or predict, or isolate. These thoughts evaded his focus... or perhaps he purposely avoided confronting them. A soft voice in his head told him that he knew exactly what her presence in his mind meant, but his proud will was quick to deny. Only... the voice of denial was weaker by the day. Still he wondered, but more and more he could not ignore that whisper... You know what these thoughts mean...

The bathroom door opened, and a sweet, misty aroma flooded his nostrils, serving to snap him out of his meditation. He opened his eyes, but continued to gaze out his bedroom window, to the city and streets below. He could hear her softly pad across the carpet over to where he sat, and out the corner of his eye he saw her trademark hair as she climbed onto the bed next to him, sitting on her knees next to him.

"Penny for your thoughts, hon?"

Ryoga blinked and very slightly cocked his head to the left, catching her inquisitive gaze for a moment before turning back to stare outside. "I was just meditating. It has been a busy couple of days, and I wasn't quite feeling like myself."

"And how do you feel now?"

"... Focused."

Ukyo smiled, and joined him in taking in the sights of a London morning. "Well good. The Ryoga I know never loses his cool."

Ryoga didn't have a response for her compliment. So after a moment, he turned to face her, and showed her a soft, but warm, smile. She in turn grinned, hiding the tiniest of blushes, and scooted in close. She wrapped both her arms around his left, and rested her head on his shoulder. For a moment, they sat still in this position, together enjoying the sunlight. Those nagging thoughts rose up like a tidal wave in his mind, and he wondered a few things: what this moment meant, if Ukyo was possible having the same thoughts, and how long he could keep juggling his pride and his emotions.

Akane's rise from slumber was less peaceful than Ryoga's, her thoughts much less settled. The morning rays were more annoying than welcome as she sat up in bed, slowly, as not to disturb the young man snoozing audibly next to her. Although in all honesty, there was no need to tread lightly while Ranma slept. He sunk faster into sleep than a lead weight in water, and stayed there until he was good and ready. Akane frowned slightly. Normally, the sight of her gentle, unpolished love lying next to her was enough to quell her worrisome self, but her thoughts would not allow her any relief this morning. Akane slid the covers off of herself, flipped them over onto Ranma's ragdoll figure, and rolled out of bed without disturbing a hair on his head. It was the morning of the tournament kick-off, and Ranma would need to be awake soon, but at the moment the tournament was far from Akane's concern.

Flashes of the previous night passed before her mind's eye. She saw the restaurant, straightforward in design but stylish and impressive. She remembered the commotion, the shouting and confusion. The gunshots. Her own disbelief in seeing Jason, the instigator of the whole event. The frantic aftermath which saw the building swarmed with officers and investigators. A seizure-inducing cacophony of ambulances and cruisers. But as unsettling as all of that was, there was still a single scene responsible for the discomfort and unease she was now feeling; the face of her sister, Nabiki, in complete and utter shock.

Akane had always looked up to her older sister. Nabiki was strong-willed, intelligent, and normally unshakeable in the face of all adversity. She was cunning, and dissected problems with speed and precision. Akane always tried to emulate her sister's natural confidence, and that toughness came out in her fighting style, but she could never quite match her sister's demeanor.

However, last night... Akane had seen a side of Nabiki she hadn't ever remembered seeing their whole lives... a weak side. When Jason leaped out the window, Nabiki's face drained of all color. Her legs gave out from under her and she fell backwards onto the floor. The police had to help escort her out of the restaurant/crime scene. She was a zombie, her face expressionless and empty. Nabiki didn't say one word the whole way back to the hotel, and Akane suspected that if Nabiki had tried to say anything at all, the tears she was most certainly holding back would have been released, and only her immense pride allowed her to maintain the slightest bit of composure.

Akane was worried sick about her big sister, and as she quickly dressed and stepped into her shoes, she wracked her brain for what to say. Never having seen Nabiki in such a state, she had no idea how to approach her. Nabiki was always the one to drill her on being tough, not the other way around, and now Akane had to connect with a broken version of the prideful big sister of her memories.

Akane slipped out the door and made her way to the next door over, Nabiki's room. The walk there seemed to stretch on for much longer than it should have. The roiling knot in her stomach squirmed as she faced the hotel's cookie-cutter door. Akane drew in a deep breath and did her best to calm her nerves. No matter how nervous she was, she knew she had to force herself to push forward, and with that, she rapped lightly on the door.

"Nabiki?"

There was no response, which really didn't come as a surprise. Nabiki could be asleep, or not wanting to talk to anyone, or so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't even register the knock. There were a million reasons Akane could think of not to enter, but she steeled herself once more and tried the door handle. Surprisingly it was unlocked, and with another deep breath Akane quietly turned the handle and pushed the door open.

The blinds were pulled closed, but even so, slits of light sliced into the dim room. Everything in it seemed virtually untouched. The desk was clear, the complimentary coffee packets were still sealed, the beds were made. Sitting on the edge of the far bed was Nabiki Tendo, facing out towards the closed window. The morning rays striped her face, her eyes falling into a strip of shade. Akane glanced down, and saw Nabiki's suitcase next to her feet. _No clothes around the room... She's planning on leaving._

Akane made her way over to her sister's side, and sat down next to her. Up close, she could make out Nabiki's expression, or rather her lack of it. The look of shock had faded, but nothing had taken its place. It was void, and empty, and even more unlike the usual Nabiki than the shock was.

"Nabiki... where are you going?"

Nabiki's eyes tightened slightly, and Akane struggled to discern if it was anger leaking out, or an attempt to hold back tears. "I'm going home."

"But Nabiki, the tournament starts today. We've relied on you to help us stay on top of things. Without you - "

Nabiki interrupted, "You guys are all set already. You just need to show up and you will be fine. You don't need me here to hold your hands anymore."

Akane frowned. "I don't want you here just for that. You being here is important to me, to all of us. You support us better than anyone could, and it wouldn't be the same without you backing us up the whole way." Her voice dropped a bit. "Plus you have something else here you need to do..."

Nabiki sneered and looked down at her packed bag. "I should never have come. He weakened me. Made me rely on him while he was around, and now... I came because I felt I needed him back in my life." She paused to regain her composure, to not let her emotions take hold. "That wasn't the same man. I came halfway around the world to see a ghost. A shell of what he used to be." A quiver could be heard in her voice. "I can't forgive him for what he's become."

Akane was attentive to her every word. She listened, not just to her words, but to the pain she heard behind them. She knew her sister better than anyone else, and knew that this tough, uncaring front was just that; a front. An illusion. Nabiki didn't want to let anyone, even her own baby sister, see that she was shaken from her normal stolid self. "Forgiveness... that's become quite the issue around our house, hasn't it?" Nabiki didn't respond. "A year and a half ago... I hated someone so much that I felt I could never forgive him. In an instant, my only thought was that he was a completely different person from the man I thought he was. Even to this day, I am still stung at the thought of being deceived, but... every mistake we make is a mask we place over our true selves. Our mistakes hide us from the people around us. And even after we realize our mistake and slide off that mask... we have to carry it around with us, as a reminder of what we've done. Until that mistake is forgiven, we can't truly be rid of that mask. Maybe Jason isn't the same as he was, but I believe underneath his actions is a reason. You know he would never do something so foolish without a damn good reason. He's there Nabiki, behind the charade, and if you give him a chance to throw it off... you'll find the real Jason again. He just needs your help. When the time comes... all he'll need is your forgiveness."

Nabiki was a statue through her whole speech. Unblinking, she stared out through the shades into the English metropolis, busy and bright. When Akane stopped speaking, Nabiki broke her stare, and turned to face her younger sibling. Akane's eyes were hopeful. "Akane... it was a mistake for me to come. This place isn't for me. I'm sorry, but... I have to leave. For my own sake."

Akane couldn't hide her disappointment. She dipped her head in defeat. Both were silent for a few minutes before Akane rose to her feet to leave. Nabiki made no move as she crossed the room and opened the door to leave, but before stepping out into the hall, Akane had a final few words for her sister. "Have a safe trip home."

Nabiki didn't face her sister, but nodded an affirmative. "I'll see you there in a few weeks."

And on that note, Akane closed the door, leaving Nabiki by herself to her thoughts. It would be an hour or so before her taxi arrived to take her to the airport. _The longest hour of my life_, she thought to herself.

The four participating teens made their way down the blocks of mid-morning London in relative silence. Akane had returned to her room and gently woken Ranma up. He immediately sensed her unease, and prodded about her mood until she told him about Nabiki. Ranma was not happy to hear about her decision, but he understood her thoughts on the matter. She had been their lifeline here in Europe, and it would be more difficult to get by without her, but they would make do. He did his best to cheer Akane up, to get her mind focused back on the tournament, but it was to little avail. The disappointment in knowing her sister would be gone for the remainder of their stay had shaken her. It took all his convincing powers just to get her back out the door. They were already hard-pressed on time. Ryoga and Ukyo met them in the hallway, and with one look at Akane, they both knew that things were not well. As they exited the hotel, Ranma quietly explained the situation to Ryoga and Ukyo. Ukyo was visibly sad for Nabiki, and Ryoga tried his best to act nonchalant, but he too would miss their number one backer.

As they strolled along, all four of their minds settled onto the tournament. Even Akane eventually pushed her worries over her sister to the side and let her mind turn towards the matter at hand, the reason they were in this country. Today was the start of Zilart's big event, and as they drew nearer to the plaza where the inaugural speech was being held, the streets became more and more clogged with persons of ever nationality, every stature. More likely than not, these were the international crowds come to cheer their nation's respective participants on, with the occasional spattering of a fighter making his way through the crowd. Ranma and Ryoga tried to pick out their opponents, but the square was quickly becoming dense with onlookers, and they settled to making sure their group did not become separated in the crowd.

With all of the drama of the morning, they had arrived later than they probably should have, and were regaled to stand in the back and look onto the podium from afar. Luckily, there was a jumbo screen towering over the stage, and the four could clearly see officials and administrators milling about, preparing speakers, microphones, and personnel. They caught a glimpse of the man himself, Zilart, as he sat watching the events unfold. He didn't look nearly as unsettled as the previous night. Instead, he appeared almost relaxed as he chatted to the side with those sitting around him. However, the teens eyes were sharp, and they didn't miss his occasional shifty glance, or the amount of attention his security detail was giving to everything and everyone around him. Zilart was still wary, which meant that Jason was still out there, still hunting him. He wouldn't be near so foolish as to strike today though. There was far too much congestion and eyes watching to try anything today. Akane did briefly turn her eyes out to the rooftops and windows surrounding the event, and wondered briefly... _I wonder if he's out there, somewhere, watching..._

"Did you see any fighters Ranma?"

"Maybe, but with so many people, it was hard to pick them out."

"Darn. I would have liked to identify some competition so we know what we're up against before hand."

"Don't worry Ryoga, I'm sure we'll be able to handle anything we come up against."

Ukyo butted in on their conversation. "Well you guys better be ready now. Some of the fights are slated to start today."

"Whaaaat? But we haven't had any time to train!"

"Ya, well I'm sorry Racchan, but you better be ready right away. We're just going to have to rely on our talent and luck today, and then get some training in starting after that."

"But we don't even have our tags! How will we even get in?"

"What do you mean we don't have our tags? I thought you brought them!"

"No! Ryoga?"

"I don't have them on me. You guys didn't let me carry them, you thought I'd lose them. Akane?"

"No, I don't have them either. I don't think any of us remembered to bring them."

"Oh no, what are we gonna do if one of us has to participate today? We are so screwed..."

"You would be, if you didn't have me." The soft voice startled the group, and they collectively turned to see Nabiki standing behind them, dangling the four entry tags from her left hand.

"Nabiki!"

Akane slipped in and gave her sister a quick hug before meeting her eyes. They were sharp, focused, and a bit brighter than they were. Clouds still lingered over her, but... "What are you doing here?"

Nabiki handed out the tags to the four fighters one-by-one. "You guys are such trouble, you know that? Leaving your tags with me, and not even thinking to grab them before you left?" She placed one finger to the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe I still have to hold your hands."

Akane ignored her trademark banter. "So... what happened to leaving? You changed your mind?"

Nabiki's face darkened, and Akane could still see she was torn at the thought of Jason. "I still don't understand what's going on here, but-" Nabiki pointer her finger to the elderly gentleman on the stage, preparing to take the podium "-he is obviously involved in all this in a way we don't know. I know Jason. He's no fool. If he was driven to attack him so viciously... Something is very wrong here, and I don't think I can leave until I get some answers. And deep down..." Nabiki placed on hand on the necklace dangling from her neck. "Deep down, I think Jason feels the same way I do. I think he's looking for answers, answers that only Zilart can answer. I think his desire to uncover those secrets drove him to put himself in harms way, and if there is a secret big enough to force him into such action... It must be important. I'm going to give him one chance to explain himself, and if I don't like what I hear..." She gripped the little charm tightly.

Akane placed a calming hand onto Nabiki's shoulder. "We'll figure this all out Nabiki. Jason showed himself once, and I'm inclined to believe he'll do it again. We just have to be ready when he does."

Nabiki looked into her sister's determined face and nodded. Resolve flowed through her veins, and she heard a cheer from the crowd as Zilart, the key to all of this mystery, stepped up to the podium, ready to give the first words of the tournament. The five Nerima natives all turned to face the stand, feeling the strength of their unit brought together once more. There would be more, much more challenge to come, and each of them would have to steel their nerves and be ready for anything and everything this grand event threw at them. Starting now.

Chapter End

AN: Phew! Another long delayed chapter brought to a close. My relief at every chapter I manage to plow through knows no bounds. And now that I have the ball rolling again, hopefully I can make quicker strides to continue with the momentum I've managed to steal. Please please please, send in those reviews! Every one I get in an infinite amount of help in guiding my story along and keeping me involved. After all, I'm writing for you as much as I am for me.


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